Closure
by curlytop92
Summary: the sequel to my first story, Contact. i hope you enjoy it! :
1. School

_Hey everybody! _

_(meow)_

* * *

A golden ray of sunlight shone through a tall window, illuminating a peaceful, dark-skinned face. The light slowly made it's way toward two glistening objects on the bed-side table. One was a silver comb with the Water Tribe insignia, and the other was a dark blue necklace with a small, blue stone that had the same design on it. The girl in the bed stirred as the sunlight pulled her out of a fiery dream land. Adding to the ray of sun, there was a harsh pounding on her bedroom door.

"Katara! Get your lazy but out of bed! You're going to be late!" It was Toph. For some reason, she always made sure that Katara was in some sort of annoying discomfort. Letting out a quiet groan, she sat up straight in the huge bed.

"Thank you, Toph." she called, swinging her legs to the side and onto the floor, trying to remember what, exactly, she was going to be late for. _Meeting? No. Sparring? No. _Katara threw on her blue, silk robe and may her way to her bathroom, still trying to remember her, apparently, important engagement. Dressing in long, blue and white robes, she put the silver comb in her brown curls and put on the necklace. As she opened the door, she found Toph, still standing there, tapping her foot impatiently. So Toph.

"Come on, Sugar Queen. Aang already has Appa saddled up and ready to go." _Appa? _Finally, the memory randomly popped into her head.

"Ooooh, that's right. We're going to the school today. I completely forgot." Toph just stomped down the hallway in all her Tophiness, not bothering to see if Katara was following.

Today, the entire Gaang was going to the school to give a demonstration on various styles of bending and give insight to the cultures behind them. Sokka and Suki were coming to give demonstrations on fighting without bending, considering that there would probably be kids who might feel left out. _Sure, it's for the kids._

When the two girls emerged through the doors of the palace, Katara noticed Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Zuko all standing around Appa, chatting it up with eachother. As soon as Katara and Toph reached the group, Aang smiled and threw himself onto Appa's head with a gust of wind, and took the reins. "Good, we're all here. Climb on, everybody." he said happily. Everyone climbed onto the saddle, everyone except Toph and Zuko. Katara looked down at the gloomy-looking Fire Lord.

"Zuko? What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"It's kind of hard to climb _anything _in these robes." He gestured to the long, red attire. Sure, they were regal, but Katara had to admit; it would be quite the challenge. "You guys go ahead. I'll just get a palan- WHOOOOA!!!!" Zuko suddenly flew about fifteen feet in the air and landed flat on his back on Appa's saddle. Toph stood on the ground with a sly smirk on her face as a large pillar of rock jutted from the ground, where Zuko stood. Quickly, she climbed onto Appa and sat next to Katara with a satisfied smile.

"There. Now, we're ready to go. Hit it, Twinkletoes!" she shouted. With out hesitation, Aang gave the command and sent Appa flying into the air. With an uncomfortable grunt, Zuko raised himself off his back. His hair was disshelved from it's usual top knot and a few strands hung in his face. Katara had to admit to herself, his hair looked considerably better when it was down.

"Gee, thanks Toph." he said, sarcastically, removing the red band and gold head piece. Using his fingers, he combed through the black mess until it looked somewhat presentable. "Great." he huffed.

"Hey, it beats that old ponytail you used to wear." Sokka commented, gesturing from across the circle. Letting go of his current frustration, Zuko chuckled at Sokka's unexplainable ability to make him laugh.

* * *

Appa landed gracefully, in the front courtyard, unleashing a large wave of wind that startled a few of the students. Everyone stared at the sight of the war heroes atop the flying beast. A few of the students dashed behind the teachers as others bravely approached the furry bison, but with extreme caution. The Gaang slid down Appa's sides and began greeting the students entheusiastcally, shaking their hands and accepting compliments. Clearly, the children were a little "iffy" about approaching their Fire Lord, directly, because they wouldn't come near him. It was probably the constant scowl he always had on his face. Zuko laughed inwardly, to himself when he heard an odd request from a young boy.

"Lady Katara! I scraped my elbow on the playground! Will you heal it for me?" he pleaded, eyes wide with hope. Katara giggled at the blatant admiration she was recieving from the children. Soon, a teacher interrupted the gathering. She had a stern look on her face that sent a cold shiver down Katara's spine. Clapping her hands twice, she adressed the students.

"That's quite enough! Go back to your classrooms immediately, or you will recieve a detention!" Quickly, the kids flooded into the doors of the school, leaving the group at the mercy of the teacher. The woman approached them with a more pleasant expression on her features, and bowed respectfully. "Our school appreciates you taking time out of your busy schedule to come and visit us, My Lord." She was obviously adressing Zuko, because she practically shoved her way past Katara and Toph. Zuko responded politely.

"It is my pleasure." Behind him, Aang slid off of Appa and landed gracefully on his feet, catching the attention of the teacher.

"Oh! You must be Avatar Aang. I'm so glad you've come. The children are so looking forward to meeting you." she added, giving a low bow. Katara was starting to feel a little left out of the conversation. She cleared her throat, wanting to be introduced. The woman just looked at her with a frown. "Oh, yes. You're the Water Tribe girl." she said, not even bothering to bow, or even shake her hand. Behind Katara, Toph cleared her throat as well. Katara could have sworn she saw the teacher role her eyes for a split second. "And you are the... let's see... the earthbender," she looked at Sokka. "... the warrior," she turned to Suki. "... and the Kyoshi girl." Katara was put off by her lack of entheusiasm and manners as she gestured casually to each of them. Zuko caught her irritation and cut in.

"Actually, this is _Lady _Katara, the Water Tribe Representative, Sokka, my personal Military advisor and Master Swordsman, Suki, the Head Kyoshi Warrior, and Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world." Everyone appreciated Zuko's subtle defense of their titles, especially Katara.

"Yeah. Katara and Toph were my waterbending and earthbending teachers. They taught me everything I know." added Aang. The two girls grinned in triumph as the teacher just nodded and led them into the school. Zuko gave Katara a comforting smile before following through the doors.

Katara felt a little uncomfortable being surrounded by so many rules. In every hallway, there were at least ten posters that displayed a different rule. No running, no talking, bow to your elders, all uniforms must be worn correctly, speak only when spoken to. The teacher led the group to a classroom filled with students who seemed to be about ten years old. All of them sat up straight when the stern teacher entered the room. All of the girls smiled when Zuko entered the room, and the boys' eyes went wide when they looked at Katara and Suki. _How cute_ she thought to herself.

Immediately, the teacher admonished the students for not looking alive, but soon anounced the visitors. "These are the Young War Heroes. I expect you all to give them your undivided attention. If I catch anyone doing otherwise, there will be extreme concequences. Understood?" The students all responded in unison, "Yes Madame Jing." She gestured to Zuko to begin. He stepped forward, looking extremely nervous.

"My friends and I have come here today to... uh... teach you about the other nations...um..." This was going nowhere. Katara stepped to his side and took control.

"We've come to give you all some demonstrations on other styles of fighting and to teach you about other cultures." she said smoothly. Aang joined in as well.

"Yeah. Since the war is over, we figured it would be best to promote our era of love and peace, starting with you guys." he held his hands toward the mass of students. Madame Jing spoke to Aang from behind her desk.

"Why don't you go first, Avatar Aang?" He nodded and proceeded to speak.

"As most of you know, I am an Air Nomad, but what most people _don't_ know is how I lived a hundred years ago. The air nomads did their best to dettach themselves from the world and live peacefully. I grew up in the Southern Air Temple, where I mastered airbending. Unlike the other nations, we were all benders. When a monk masters airbending, she or she is marked by these arrow-shaped tattoos. They represent the arrows on the flying bison, the first airbenders..." Aang's speech progressed smoothly as he led the students through the Air Nomads' history. Soon, it came time for the airbending demonstration, in which he made an air scooter and flitted around the room, causing laughter to errupt from the children.

Next, it was Toph's turn to talk. "Alright, everyone knows that earth is the best element out there, so I'll keep my speech short..." Toph was, indeed, good to her word. In about three minutes, she had explained the history of earthbending, it's style, and given a demonstration, using her meteorite bracelet. The kids seemed to enjoy her insulting jokes the most, however.

Soon it was Katara's turn to speak. She rose from her seat and began her talk. "What makes the Water Tribe different from the other nations is that we are a very fluid people. We can adapt and adjust to many changes, like water can." The kids listened intently as they had for Toph and Aang, giving Katara a bit more confidence. "Water can be used for more than just fighting... as some of you already know." she added, looking for the boy who asked her to heal him. "Waterbending girls are taught, at a young age, to use water to heal the sick and injured." She turned to look at Aang. "It really came in handy during the war." Suddenly, she heard Toph chime in.

"Tell them about that bloodbending thing you do!" she blurted out. Katara'a eye's grew wide with fright. There was no way she was going to bloodbend in front of a multitude of young children, much less with their teacher in the very room.

"No, Toph. I don't think I should. It's not a very... moral thing to do." Before she could divert their attention, the kids perked up and blurted out questions and pleas pertaining to bloodbending.

"Lady Katara! What is bloodbending?" "Show us, please!" "I want to learn to be a bloodbender!" What was she going to do? She couldn't show them that horrible, dark side of waterbending, but the kids would not let it die.

"No. I can't. I'm sorry." But no matter how many times she refused, the pleas kept on coming. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand surround hers as Zuko cleared his throat, reminding the classroom that the Fire Lord was still in the room. They all, immediately quieted down after being admonished, not by their teacher, but their supreme ruler.

As quickly as she could, Katara finished her speech and demonstration. At this point, all she wanted was to go back to the palace and get away from the pleading gazes of the children. She sat quietly and clasped her hands together in her lap, wishing she had never come. Finally, Zuko stepped forward. "I believe that since you all _live_ in the Fire Nation, there is no need for me to eplain it, but we _will_ take any questions you have." Immediately, every single hand flew into the air. "No. Katara is not going to bloodbend for you." All of the hands, slowly went down, all except for one. The girl with her hand still in the air had to be much younger than the others, for she was smaller with an innocent expression. She sat in the very center of the front row, probably because of her menial height. Katara reminded herself to _thank _Zuko later for his protection of her. He pointed to the girl signaling for her to ask her question; one for which he couldn't bring himself to answer.

"Fire Lord Zuko? How did you get that scar?"


	2. Revelations

_hola amigos! here is chapter numero dos! enjoy!_

_sorry it took so long. Now that summer's here, I actually have a life!_

_(meow)_

* * *

Were his ears deceiving him? Had she really asked such a question? How was he supposed to respond to _that_? Should he blow it off and pretend everything was okay, or should he tell the truth? He looked around at the multitude of young, anxious faces, staring him down in the worst way. The room suddenly, became extremely hot (which was really saying something, considering he was a firebender). He opened his mouth, but words refused to form. Beads of sweat began to roll down his temples as he struggled for a response. As soon as he was sure that the kids' eyes were going to burn a hole in his face, someone spoke up abruptly.

"Who wants to see the Avatar and his earthbending teacher in a dual?!" _Thank the spirits for Katara! _Zuko turned to see her trying to distract the children from his awkward silence. He let out a prolonged sigh of relief as the children became engrossed in the waterbender's proposal. "Me! Me! Me!" The teacher led them outside, into the courtyard, followed by Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki. Katara stayed inside the classroom with Zuko, who was now seated on the floor, pathetically.

Immediately, Katara raced over and knelt beside him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and into her eyes with tears and a look that explained it all. That old pain that had been dormant all that time, was finally resurfacing. Quickly, she embraced him in the warmest hug she could give and pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, running her fingers through his ebony hair.

Struggling through the sobs that threatened to escape, he choked out a response. "Later." Katara realized, now, that Zuko had never told_ her_ how he had acquired that scar, even now that they were semi-secretly "together". Throwing the thought aside, she returned to her current obligation, and that was comforting a fallen Zuko. After moments of loving silence, he moved within her grasp, letting her know that it was going to be alright. "We probably need to go outside with the others." he said, standing up and offering her his hand.

"Yeah, okay." she replied, taking his hand as he pulled her to her feet.

"Meet me in my private study tonight, after dinner, and we'll talk." he said. He moved his hand from hers and rested it on the side of her neck, pulling her into a sweet kiss.

* * *

Katara and Zuko made their way outside, to the large crowd of children surrounding Toph and Aang. One could tell that they were getting into the fight because the ground was shaking uncontrolably and Aang was flying into the air every three seconds. The kids cheered as the two dualed agressivly, not noticing that Katara and Zuko had arrived. As Katara peered over the heads of the children, she could see that there was no distinguished winner or loser, but both were actually laughing and having fun. Katara and Zuko both giggled as they each noticed how well Aang and Toph worked together.

As soon as the dual was finished, the teacher herded the frenzied students back, into the building, leaving the Gaang to board Appa in peace. No one dared mention the uncomfortable subject of Zuko's scar, but thanks to Aang and Toph's distraction, there was plenty to talk about.

"Boy, Twinkletoes! If you weren't the avatar, I would've totally kicked your butt." she blurted, pointing a finger at Aang from the saddle. He just turned around to her and grinned, looking as innocent as he could.

"I think I kind of like kids, actually." said Sokka.

"Why? Because they have the same maturity level as you?" countered Katara from across the circle. Hearing this, everyone burst into fits of laughter, except for Sokka. He looked at Suki, who seemed to be laughing harder than everyone else.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. You have to admit though, that was pretty funny" she explained. Being fed up with the jokes at his expense, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Soooo, Zuko. What's for dinner?" he asked, staring at the sulking Fire Lord. Zuko was completely lost in thought, therefore, he didn't notice Sokka's question. "Zuko?"

"Huh? What?" he asked, raising his head off of his fist, trying to seem more alert. "Sorry, Sokka. I wasn't paying attention." He let out a fake chuckle. "Maybe I need another vacation." All together, every one shouted "NO!" Even Appa let out a defiant mumble.

* * *

That evening, Zuko was the first to excuse himself from the table, but this time, he didn't mention any important paper work he had to do. He simply got up and left. Not trying to draw any attention to the matter, Katara waited about ten minutes before excusing herself as well. With haste, she scurried through the hallways that led to the Fire Lord's private study, mentally preparing herself for what he was about to reveal to her. Katara stopped in front of the large, wooden doors, sighed, then knocked.

"Come in." said a rough voice from inside the chamber. She pushed the door open, revealing a dark room, filled with old scrolls and documents. To her right was a large, ornate fireplace and in front of it, sitting on the floor, was Zuko. Clearly, he had changed out of the bulky 'Fire Lord' attire and into something more comfortable. He turned and stared at her with a gaze that harbored more sadness and pain than she ever thought possible. The fire before him, somehow, added a kind of ferocity that almost frightened her. He motioned for her to come and sit next to him, in front of the fireplace, and she complied.

"Zuko, if you really don't want to tell me, you don't have to. You look really... upset." she explained, trying to aleviate some of the obvious anguish he was experiencing. Finally, he averted his gaze back to the fire, but then closed his eyes.

"No. You need to know." he said, opening his eyes to the flame, looking lost in thought. He inhaled deeply, causing the fire before him to grow, then exhaled, bringing it back to size. Katara tucked her knees under chin and listened.

"First of all, you need to know that, probably, the only person in the entire palace that ever really loved me, was my mother. She actually protected me from my sister's cruel pranks." He chuckled a little. "You know? One time, Azula locked me in a closet, but it was my mom who found me, after a whole day. She left... long before the war meeting, so... " Katara scooted closer to him, involuntarily. He must have noticed that he had deviated from the main topic, because he returned to that old serious expression. "It all started when there was a sheduled war meeting in the throne room. I was only fourteen, but I wanted so badly to be a part of the meeting, so I begged my uncle to take me. He told me that it wasn't a good idea, but, I didn't listen."

Katara tried to imagine Zuko as a care-free young boy, but it was hard to process. Zuko continued with the story. "Uncle old me that he would let me come... but on one condition: I was not allowed to speak." He paused for a long while. Katara didn't know whether she should say something, or just be quiet. Again, she scooted closer to him, putting about six inches between them. He sighed, then continued unwraveling the tale. "The meeting was going fine. I sat and listened to the battle plans for most of the meeting, until one of the generals proposed one of the worst plans I had ever heard." He stopped.

"What was the plan, Zuko?" she asked, not wanting him to stop.

"He wanted to put young, inexperienced troops on the front line, as a distraction. They were all going to be killed, but... it was of no concern to the court..." Zuko trailed off. Katara knew that this probably wasn't a good time to pry, so she said nothing, but put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Zuko let out a ragged breath and continued, hesitantly. "I spoke out against the general's plan." He put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. "I didn't even ask to speak; I just blurted out my opinion." he said, obviously, becoming more stressed with every passing second. Katara, with her hand still on his shoulder, could feel him trembling beneath her touch.

"Zuko, whatever happened during or after that war meeting has clearly taken a big toll on your life. You struggled to get past this, and... and I think it's unfair for you to resurface this, all because of me. What I've asked of you is clearly causing you more pain than I realized." Katara rose from her spot on the floor. "I can't handle seeing you like this." She started for the door, but was stopped by a hand around her wrist.

"Katara, wait." Zuko said, pulling her closer, away from the exit. He went from grabbing her wrist to holding both her hands in his own. "I need to tell you this. I've never shared my life story with anyone." he said, putting a hand on her face. She leaned into his touch, hoping that it would never change. "You're the first person I've ever told." With that, he led her beck to their place in front of the fireplace.

"Anyway, it was considered a great disrespect, what I had done, and they said that there was but one way to settle it: an Agni Kai." There was a dark, sinister tone to his voice, now. Katara didn't notice that she was leaning forward. "At first, I wasn't that worried because the general was kind of old, so he didn't pose such a big threat to me." Katara waited anxiously for the story to continue. Suddenly, she saw a tear roll down his face and she gently, she wiped it away with the back of her hand, trying desperately to comfort him. "But... when I turned to see my opponent... It was my own father." Katara let out a short gasp as she raised her head up to her mouth in shock. "I refused to fight. I knew that he could kill me easily, so I begged for mercy." At that moment, Zuko turned to look directly at Katara, teas still streaming down his face.

"He told me that I _would_ learn respect, and that suffering would be my teacher." For a long time, Zuko said nothing, but closed his eyes, as if her were in pain. "The first thing I remember after that was waking up in the hospital two weeks later, with my uncle at my bedside." Katara was completely frozen in horrified shock. She could understand a parent going a little overboard, but what Ozai did was cruel and insane. She couldn't bare hearing anymore of Zuko's nightmare, but he continued. "I was banished for refusing to fight my father. The only way I could regain my honor was by capturing the long-lost avatar." Katara struggled to find the right words.

"Zuko... I... I had no idea." Now, Zuko wasn't the only one crying. "What you've been through... it's worse than I could have ever imagined." she said. He regained his composure and sat up straight, trying to look regal again.

"Actually, if it weren't for my mother, I probably wouldn't be here, now. You see, when I was about twelve years old, my grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon ordered my father to destroy me." Another gasp escaped from Katara's mouth. How could this get any worse? "My mother, Ursa, saved my life by... ending my grandfather's, but in the process, she was banished... and I never saw her again." Zuko hung his head, almost looking defeated. Katara, at that point, could only offer her understanding.

"Zuko, I can't imagine what you must have gone through in that Agni Kai, but I_ do_ understand losing someone as special as a mother." Katara reached for his hand, but he grabbed hers before she could take his.

"I know. You were the first person, besides my uncle, to understand and trust me. I'll probably never meet anyone like you." he said, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. She relished these moments when they were alone together, only focused on eachother. "You are the only way I can cope with my past... and... well-" Before he could continue, there was an urgent knock on the door. Zuko sighed in frustration and hung his head.

"It's alright. It's getting late, anyway. I need to go to bed." said Katara. She rose from her position on the floor and made for the exit. Upon opening the door, she beheld an old friend. "Iroh!"


	3. Complications

_okay, people! I haven't been getting a lot of reviews, and it worries me. is the story not that interesting anymore? please review!_

* * *

"Uncle?" Zuko asked, astounded. The man was now, living in Ba Sing Se, running his tea shop, and enjoying life in it's simplicity. Iroh threw his arms around Zuko, in an almost fatherly manner, pulling him close.

"It's good to see you, nephew." He pulled away and looked at Katara, then smiled. "I'm glad to see you as well, Representative Katara. It's been a while." Katara shook Iroh's hand.

"Yes, General Iroh. It's been too long." she replied, now coming under influence of the man's avuncular aura.

"Please, call me Uncle. You're like family to me anyway." Katara was flattered by his manners, but was soon distracted by Zuko's uneasy tone.

"Uncle, no one told me of your visit. I don't want to seem rude, but is there any particular reason you're here? Is there a major holiday coming up?" Iroh didn't seem offended in the slightest; he just smiled at Zuko.

"Not yet... Actually, I was hoping you would come with me for a moment." He gestured out the door, into the now dark hallway. Katara was actually hoping that he would go with his uncle's request. She was exhausted and needed to go to bed.

"Well, I was kind of... um... busy." Iroh looked back and forth between Zuko and Katara, eyeing them suspiciously. Katara's face suddenly, turned a bright red as embarrassment overtook her.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, but this is extremely important." he replied, adding a pained expression to his request. Katara decided to help the general out.

"It's okay, Zuko. I need some rest." she said, yawning in the process. "I guess I'll see you two in the morning. Good night." With that, Katara strode out of the room, leaving the two men to themselves. After watching her leave, Zuko spoke up.

"Uncle, why did you have to interrupt me?" Zuko whined, throwing his hands in the air. Iroh just sighed, adopting a very serious look.

"Zuko, you need to come with me. Whatever is going on with you and her will have to wait until morning." Zuko was taken aback by his uncle's sudden sense of urgency. He followed the older man through the palace until he came to his throne room. The room was completely lit, except for the great wall of fire that sat in front of the throne. Zuko immediately noticed a small group of Fire Sages standing in the middle of the rrom. There were three, and they all seemed to be conversing with each other, secretly. As soon as they noticed the Fire Lord and his uncle, the conversation stopped and they all turned to face him.

"What's going on?" asked Zuko from the doorway. The sages looked almost frightened to be standing in his presence, but one stepped foreward.

"Fire Lord Zuko, we are here to discuss the future of your rein over the Fire Nation. Something is not right." Zuko wracked his brain for any mistakes he had made during his time as Fire Lord, but none came to mind. So far, he seemed to be doing everything right; he even had an amazing team of advisors who contributed to Ozai's downfall. What was wrong? Without a word, Zuko eyed the Sage who had spoken. He continued. "So far, your rein has gone exceptionally well. The people like you, and you've managed to promote peace in almost every corner of the world." All these words were true; he had done these, but there was something more. He prodded the other man.

"But..."

"But, no one lives forever. My Lord, it is high time you find a suitable bride." Zuko knew that this would come sooner or later, but he always wished it would be later. He tried to defend his case.

"Well,currently, I _do _have somewhat of a girlfriend. She would make a great bride." he said.

"And who would that be, My Lord?" asked another Fire Sage. Zuko was becoming annoyed with their negativity.

"One of my own representatives. Katara of the Water Tribe." He crossed his arms with a satisfied smile on his lips. The Fire Sages all looked at eachother with an expression that screamed 'Uh oh'. "What is it?" he asked.

"Your bride must be of Fire Nation citizenship." Zuko grew enraged.

"WHAT?!" he screamed, fire shooting from his fists at his sides. The Sages drew back from his fit. Iroh approached his fuming nephew and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gentlemen, I believe that it would be best if we continued this conversation during another time." With that, Iroh led Zuko through the curtained door of the throne room and down the hallway.

"How can they do this to me?! I've done nothing but good for this nation! I deserve to marry whomever I choose!" Zuko shouted. Iroh turned down the hallway that led back to Zuko's private study and opened the door.

"I'm sorry Zuko. I've tried to reason with them, but they are so stubborn." Zuko refused to be cheered up, so he plopped down into a large, comfy chair, like a small child. "That, however, was not the only reason I summoned you." Surprised, Zuko looked up at his uncle, who was now pulling a large map out of a container. The parchment was old and yellowed, and covered in a thin coat of dust.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the scroll. Iroh unrolled the scroll and turned it towards Zuko.

"This is one of the oldest maps in the Fire Nation. It dates back to the early days of Fire Lord Azulon, long before you were born." his uncle replied, looking away from the map and to him. "Do you notice anything different about it?" he asked. Zuko looked closely at the map, inspecting every inch of it. Soon he came across something strange.

"Those islands, near the North Pole," He pointed to a pair of small islands that lay relatively close to the coast of the North Pole. "I've never seen them before." Iroh nodded in approval, adopting a small smile.

"Yes. Zuko, you told me a couple of months ago that you wanted to know the location of your mother, right?" Zuko nodded, wondering where this conversation was going.

"Are you saying... that... you've _found her_?" he asked, nervous tears pricking at his eyes. Iroh said nothing for a while, which made Zuko fearful.

"Not exactly. I believe that this would probably be a journey better taken if you were the one to go. She's your mother, Zuko." Zuko was speechless. Never in his life had he imagined actually finding his mother. "These islands were kept a secret by both Azulon and Ozai, to keep anyone from finding their victims of banishment." The Fire Lord looked at the little islands as his mind was overwhelmed with hopeful thoughts. Could his mother really be alive? Would she be the same as she was almost six years ago? Iroh slid the map towards Zuko and headed for the door. "It's late, nephew. I'm going to bed." Zuko nodded, rolled up the map, and headed for the door as well, but Iroh stopped him. "Before you retire, I think there's one more thing that needs your attention." He tilted his head down the hall, toward a closed bedroom door, with light seeping underneath it.

"Maybe I should wait until morning. She's probably in bed already." he said, trying to avoid confronting her. Iroh eyed the door down the hallway and smiled.

"Well, she _is _a waterbender. Doesn't she rise with the moon? I highly doubt she's gone to bed already." How could he argue with that logic? Giving into his uncle's request, he started down the hall, toward Katara's door. He intended to apologize for the interruption, and that it took so long. Slowly, he approached her door and knocked, softly, three times. At first, he heard nothing, but then, the door swung open to reveal Katara, now in her lounging robes.

"Oh! Hey, Zuko. I fugured I wouldn't see you until tomorrow." she said in a cheerful tone. Zuko just smiled, hoping he could now, get a moment alone with her.

"Can I... uh... come in?" he asked hesitantly. Would she think it wierd if he was coming into her bedroom, late at night? Surely not; they were the best of friends.

"Sure. Come on in. I was just reading some of these scrolls." She pointed to a small pile of opened scrolls on her desk. "They're actually really interesting."

"What are you reading?" he asked, now interested in her literary picks.

"Oh, just an old story about a spirit called the Painted Lady." she replied, rolling up the parchment and placing back on the shelf. Zuko suddenly remembered the reason he had come here in the first place and he let out a prolonged sigh. Katara noticed. "Zuko, what did your uncle want?" she asked. Suddenly, he realized that it was probably a good idea that he didn't tell her about the whole "bride" thing yet.

"Uncle thinks that he's found out where my mother is." he said, seating himself on the foot of her bed. She gasped when he told her the news. All this time, Zuko had done everything he could to get clues on his mother, but being the Fire Lord was extremely time-consuming.

"That's great, Zuko!" she exclaimed, sitting on the bed, next to him.

"Apparently, she's on an island off the coast of the North Pole. Uncle told me that I would need to take the journey for myself." he said, looking down at his hands.

"Oh." she uttered, slightly disappointed. Katara couldn't help but miss the days when the entire group would travel all over the world, sleeping under the stars, and waking up to a deadly attack on their camp. _Yeah, those were the days. _

"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, first thing." he added.

"Well... be sure to write." she replied, wanting more than anything, to come along. There was a catch in his breath as he looked at her, then he chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere without the whole group." It was as if he had read her mind she couldn't hide the huge smile that swept across her face. "Of course! How would we get anywhere without your brother's jokes?" Katara giggled at his snide sarcasm and rested her head on his shoulder. At first, he was surprised, then he put his arm around her. For a while, they sat in silence, listening and syncing up to each other's breathing. Finally, Zuko turned his head toward her and gave her a light peck on the forehead. "You need to go to bed. I don't care if you _do _rise with the moon. I'm not going to have you dragging yourself all the way to the Noth Pole with dark circles under your eyes." She smiled innocently. With that, he got up, off the bed and started toward the door.

"Good night, Zuko." she said, catching him before he escaped.

"Good night, Katara. I'll see you in the morning." Before she could get another word in, he left and shut the door behind him. Katara absolutely adored those tender moments when neither of them said anything, but they just sat in silence. It was peaceful, and really, what needed to be said? Quietly, she dressed for bed and slid underneath the covers, looking forward to a good night's sleep, and for the adventure that awaited her in the morning.


	4. Have a Nice Trip!

_chapter quatro!_

_pwease review!_

_Enormous thank you to Miss Katara x. The only person to review my story, so far._

* * *

The next morning, everyone recieved the news that they were to depart after breakfast. Normally, Katara would be the first person awake, besides Zuko, but today, she was the last to come. As soon as everyone was fed and packed, they headed out, toward the stable where Appa was kept. Everyone was dressed in their old traveling clothes, even Zuko was sporting his old shirt and trousers that he wore during their travels before the day of Sozin's Comet. A plethora of memories flooded back to Katara as she beheld the group in their simplicity.

Everyone quickly boarded Appa after loading what little they could bring. With a cheerful "Yip yip!", Aang drove Appa into the sky. Their journey had begun. The one most anxious about the trek was obviously Zuko. He hadn't seen his mother in six years. Thoughts and questions swam in his mind, causing him to dettach himself from the group for a moment, but he was pulled back when he heard his name.

"Zuko?" It was Katara. He felt her hand on top of his, making a small attempt to calm his nerves. "Is something the matter?" she asked, drawing the attention of everyone else on the saddle.

"It's nothing." he said, a little too quickly. Katara eyed him skeptically. She had once told him that since he was a part of their "family", and he had to be honest with them, no matter what. "I'm just a little nervous about finding my mother, okay?" He felt Katara squeeze his hand, strengthening him. "It's been almost six years. Four of those, I thought she was dead. I don't know what to think, now that there's a possibility that she's alive." He heard Katara sigh next to him.

"Aang? Any deep Avatar wisdom?" she asked, turning to the boy in front. He turned to the group and considered the question.

"Zuko, whatever happens, you will always have a family with us." Listening to Aang's words was exactly what he needed at that moment. Soon, he became less tense, and more serene. Everyone followed suit.

"What was the Lady Ursa like?" asked Katara, letting go of his hand and reclining on the saddle. Zuko smiled and thought about his answer.

"Well, she was... very beautiful... she was kind and understanding. She always knew that there was good in everyone, even when they, themselves couldn't see it. She even had a great sense of humor."

"That sounds a lot like our mother." said Sokka from across the circle. He looked at Katara, and she nodded in approval.

"She saved my life by being banished. She was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for my well-being." he continued, now lost to the memories of his mother.

"My mom saved my life too. She protected me during the raid on our village when I was little." said Katara. For some reason, she enjoyed dwelling on her brilliant mother. No one was expecting what was said next.

"My parents set out to capture me after I ran away from them." Only Toph. Everyone looked awkwardly at each other, not knowing whether or not they should laugh.

They planned to make a quick stop at Kyoshi Island, to rest, considering that the trip to the North Pole would take a few days. After a day and a half of traveling, they finally landed on the cold shores of Kyoshi. Everyone had prepared for the cold, sporting their parkas and cloaks. When they landed, there was a small group of warriers there to greet them. One of the girls being Ty Lee, rushed forward to greet them.

"Hey, guys! We saw your bison. He's so cute!" She rushed forward and began to scratch Appa on the chin, and in return, he let out a satisfied grunt. As everyone hopped off of Appa, Toph felt the need to trip someone, that someone being Katara.

"Oops!" said Toph in the fakest voice she could muster. Before she had time to react, Katara began to topple over the side of the saddle.

"Toph! DON'T!" she shrieked as her feet left the saddle. Quickly, she braced for a hard impact on her back, but it never came. Instead, she fell into two waiting arms. Her eyes, which had been closed, tightly, snapped open to see Zuko's face about three inches from her own. The next thing she heard were snickers and giggles coming from everyone around them. Quickly, Zuko set her on her feet and turned away from the rest of the group, trying to hide his blush. Katara did the same.

"Toph! What was that for?!" he shouted at the blind girl, who was still on the bison.

"It was a complete and total accident." she answered. "It's not my fault your girlfriend is a klutz!" she shot back. Everyone was still laughing and giggling at the spectacle, even Aang was laughing.

"Sorry, Katara, but you should have seen your face." he said, pointing at her. Putting on her cutest pout, she crossed her arms and gave a quick _"hmf" _and headed toward the village.

* * *

That evening, the Gaang decided to dine in their house, that the village leader had granted them. The food served on Kyoshi leaned more toward the Water Tribe, considering they were only several miles from it. After a long day of travel, everyone opted to turn in early. Zuko stood in his room, folding the clothes he had worn that day, and trying to lighten his thoughts. He _was _anxious, but it wasn't just about finding his mother. In his pocket, he kept a long, silk, purple ribbon. No one could have guessed that such a token could have weighed so much. He pulled out the ribbon and ran his thumb across the smooth silk. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Quickly stuffing the ribbon into his pocket, he made for the door knob.

"Zuko? Are you in there?" He was hoping it would be a certain waterbender, but when he opened the door, it turned out to be Suki, not that he was _disappointed_ or anything.

"Oh. Hey, Suki. Can I... help you with something?" he asked. Without asking, she strode into his room and stood there with her hands on her hips.

"I know what's going on here, Zuko." She didn't sound angry, only snippy, like she knew a dirty secret. Out of habbit, his face went red. What had he done?

"Okay, you got me. I knew that Toph was going to trip Katara, but I just wanted to show her that-"

"Wait. What?" she said, waving her hands in front of her. Now, he was even more embarrassed.

"Uh... nothing. Forget it. Now, what's going on?" he asked, trying to get away from the subject. She was about to say something, when she stopped.

"What is that?" she said, pointing to the silk ribbon hanging from Zuko's pocket. Apparently, he hadn't done a very good job of hiding it.

"It's nothing. What do you want, Suki?" he asked, becoming slightly agitated. Before he had time to think, she lashed out and snatched the ribbon from his pocket.

"This is really nice silk. Where did you get it?" she asked, examining the fabric.

"None of your business!" He tried to take it back, but she was too quick for him. "Give it back, Suki! It's old!" This didn't get him anywhere, it only made her more interested. He grabbed for the ribbon again, but she quickly spun out of the way. "Suki, come on! I need that!"

"For what? A proposal?" He froze. How did she know? "...to a certain waterbender..." she held out the ribbon to him, letting him take it. "... whose brother just happens to be my betrothed?" she continued. Zuko had to admit, this girl was good. How could she fall for someone as dense as Sokka?

"Alright, yes." Without warning, Suki squealed excitedly and and attacked him with a hug. He pushed her away, trying to get her to calm down.

"I'm sorry. I just got excited. Oh my goodness, Zuko! You're going to propose to _Katara_! This is so cool!" He had no clue how simple news could give a person so much energy.

"It won't be much of a surprise if she hears you. Settle down." She gave a concerned look.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" she asked.

"Of course I'm happy... but she's from the Water Tribe, a culture that's completely different from my own. I haven't the slightest idea of how to go through with this. The only thing I know is that I have to give her a necklace." Suki just stared at him for a moment.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm here. You can track down the avatar, defeat your psycho sister, and rule a country, but you can't propose to a girl." she said.

"What do I do?" he asked, simply. Suki crossed over and closed the door, so no one would hear, then took the ribbon again.

"First of all, you need to ask her father." Zuko smiled.

"I already did. He said that as long as I don't let the whole 'royalty' thing go to her head, it was alright." he replied. Suki looked surprised, like he had impressed her.

"Well, the next thing you do is make the necklace. Not buy it, make it." Zuko turned his eyes to the purple ribbon in her hands. "And from the looks of this ribbon, you're on the right track." Zuko took the ribbon back and ran it through his fingers.

"This silk came off of one of my mother's dresses. I had it taylored just for the occasion." He didn't hear anything else from Suki, just a small gasp.

"Oh, Zuko. That's the sweetest thing... I know she'll love it." Suki started towards the door.

"Wait. What do I do next?" he asked, wanting everything to be perfect. She just giggled.

"I can't tell you that, Zuko. It's _your _proposal. If she loves you the way she tells me she does, then you shouldn't have any problems in getting a 'yes' out of Katara." With that, Suki closed the door behind her, leaving him alone. Zuko looked down at the purple ribbon, picturing how it would look around Katara's neck. Then he wondered where in the world he was supposed to find a stone for the pendant. He wanted something simple, yet elegant; bright, but soft. _This will not be easy._

_

* * *

_

The next morning, everyone was up and ready to leave. They had another long day of travel ahead of them, so they didn't waste any time. After good-byes, everyone climbed onto Appa and set out. The sun had just risen over the horizon when they departed.

Zuko brought his heaviest cloak in preparation for the bitter cold, but anything made in the Fire Nation was not made for the North Pole. His teeth chattered as he pulled his knees up under his chin and wrapped his arms around them. He could regulate the heat in his own body, but only for a certain period of time, otherwise, he would get exhausted. He looked around at everyone, who seemed to be having a great time, talking and laughing with one another. Carefully, he blew a short breath of fire from his nose, but this didn't seem to help much. Suddenly, felt something warm wrap around him. He turned to see Katara wrapping her heavy parka around his shoulders.

"What are you doing? Won't you get cold?" he asked, concern coating his voice. She just smiled sweetly.

"Eventually, but I'm used to the cold." She paused for a moment. "Besides, when I _do _get cold enough," she began running her fingers through his hair, almost lulling him to sleep, "we can just share." His eyes popped open when he heard her say this. Her tone wasn't sweet and innocent anymore, it was... seductive and scary. Now, he was moved to return the favor.

"Are you cold, now?" he asked. She shook her head in response. He counted to five, then asked again.

"How about now?" This made her laugh.

"No, Zuko, I'm not cold yet, but when I am," she put her fingers under his chin, bringing his face about two inches away from hers, "I'll let you know." Now, he could feel the blood rushing to his face.

For a while, the Gaang rode peacefully over the ocean. Sokka and Suki discussed wedding plans and Aang and Toph told jokes back and forth. Zuko and Katara talked about their days just before the eclipse.

"You did _what?_" asked Zuko, astonished.

"Yep. I dressed up as the Painted Lady." she replied, crossing her arms over her chest in a very proud manner.

"You?!"

"Me."

"What did you do?"

"Oh, just helped clean up a village and destroy a Fire Nation factory; nothing big." She paused. "So, what did _you_ do while we were traveling abroad?" He thought for a moment. What _had_ he done?

"Let's see... I vacationed on Ember Island, I... sat in on a war meeting, I...uh... sent a deadly assasin after you, and I brushed up on my family history." She smirked at him.

"Is that all?" she asked, leaning forward. He nodded. "Wow. You didn't really do much of anything." He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Well, I wasn't busy training the Avatar to defeat the most powerful firebender in the world." he replied, leaning forward as well. "So, tell_ me_ something." She listened with a serious look on her face. "What are your favorite colors?"

"My favorite colors?" This was an extremely odd question for him to be asking.

"Yeah. I want to know." He took her hand in his and massaged the back of hers with his thumb.

"I like blue... and white... oh, and purple's a pretty color too." She saw a slight expression of relief come over his features. "Why?" she asked.

"Oh, no reason." Suddenly, he heard Suki clear her throat, blatantly behind him.

For the rest of the day, they sat and traded stories about their travels and how they each escaped certain death. Eventually, the sun began to sink behind the sea, and everyone settled down for a short nap, for they would be arriving at the North Pole very soon. Zuko could suddenly feel a slight shiver at his side. He turned to see Katara looking out, over the horizon, tightly wrapping her arms around her.

"You're freezing." Katara turned her head to look at him.

"Maybe." she mused, eyeing him suspiciously. In turn, he opened up the cloak and the thick parka. Using his free hand, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tightly into his lap. She lay her head on his shoulder and up against his neck. He felt so warm and comfortable, that she involuntarily reached up and stroked his face, running her fingers along his strong jaw line and down his neck. Slowly, he turned his head towards her and kissed her soflty on her head. Wrapping the cloak and parka around both of them, he leaned against his traveling pack, and the two of them went to sleep in each other's arms.


	5. hints

_yoyoyo! _

_I hope you enjoy this one! thanks to all who reviewed!_Upon opening her eyes, Katara first saw the emmense collumns and structures of the Northern Water Tribe. It hadn't changed from the last time she was there. The sky was now dark blue and spotted with thousands of stars. This was one of the many reasons she adored the North Pole. The nights were always crystal clear, and every star twinkled ten times brighter than anywhere else. Looking around, she noticed that everyone else was asleep, except for her. She felt two arms tighten around her waist as she gazed at the icy city. She looked down and saw Zuko lying next to her. Both of them had been wrapped in her and Zuko's winter wear, and had fallen asleep. She noticed that they were now, rapidly approaching the Northern Water Tribe, so she carefully crawled out of the wrappings and quietly made her way over to where Aang was. Peeking over the saddle, she saw that he was asleep as well.

* * *

"Aang. Aang!" she whispered, "Wake up!" She flicked him hard on the head, causing him to wake abruptly, with a start.

"Gah... what?... Huh?" he said, fumbling with Appa's reins and his staff.

"Aang, calm down. I just wanted to tell you that we're almost there. You should probably bring Appa a little lower. It's getting a lot colder."

"Oh. Okay... Is everyone else up?" he asked, turning to face her. Katara just shook her head in response. "You should probably wake them up. We'll be landing soon and I know that no one wants to spend much more time out here." Katara giggled.

"Yeah. By the time we get there, we'll probably be nothing but people-sickles." Aang retaliated with one of his own jokes.

"Hey being a people-sickle isn't all that bad. Look at me. I'm a hundred and fourteen years old, and I still look great!" Katara giggled as she turned to wake the others. As soon as everyone was up and ready, Appa decended onto the shore of the Northern Water Tribe. There to greet them was the chief himself.

"Welcome, young war heroes! We were glad to recieve your letter." Zuko stepped forward.

"Thank you for recieving us at such an outrageous time of night."

"We rise with the moon, Fire Lord Zuko." He glanced over at Katara and moved toward her. "And it is always our pleasure to recieve the precious Princess of the Southern Water Tribe." He bowed to her and she did the same in return.

"It's an honor to be in your great city. My father sends his regards." she replied. Zuko wasn't used to seeing this side of Katara. He was always used to seeing the playful, motherly waterbender that he fell in love with. _She'd make a great Fire Lady. _

"Thank you. Now, if you will follow me, I will show you to your house." he said, and led the way towards the town. Zuko walked slowly to let Katara catch up with him, so they could talk. When she reached him, she laced her fingers through his and smiled.

"Don't look so surprised, Zuko. I can act royal too." She squeezed his hand and led him on, towards the front of the group. The house prepared for them was far more than anyone expected. Next to the palace, it was probably the largest building in the city. There was a room for everyone, that came lavishly furnished with huge beds covered in fur. There was a private bathroom in each bedroom and a brand new Water Tribe parka, made specifically for each person. All the buildings in the city were made completly of ice, but the architects somehow, managed to make them comfortable and cozy. Everyone separated into their separate rooms rather quickly, due to their exhaution.

Katara tried miserably to go to sleep, but it wouldn't come. Before bed, she had loaned her top comforter to Toph, who claimed that she was going to freeze her but off during the night. Suki made the smart suggestion that she could borrow Katara's blanket. _Gee, thanks, Suki. _She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. _I have to get some sleep, or else I'll be a zombie tomorrow. _Slowly, she slid out of the bed and into the silk slippers that Zuko had bought her. As lightly as she could, she tip-toed down the hallway. Katara noticed that everyone's doors were shut, so they must be asleep. She walked quietly into the living room, expecting to see a roaring fire, but there was none, not exactly.

"Oh, Zuko. I thought you were in bed." He turned to look at her. There wasn't a light in the room, except for the moon shining through the front window. Suddenly, Katara felt colder than she had all day, and she wanted nothing more than to go and snuggle up to him. As if he could read her thoughts, he patted the space naxt to him, motioning for her to come and sit with him.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, taking her hand as she sat on the sofa.

"No. You?"

"No. I've got too much on my mind." She squeezed his hand.

"Is it your mother?" she asked, leaning her head against his warm shoulder. He shifted his arm to where it rested across the back of her shoulders.

"Yeah."

"Well, just remember what Aang said earlier. Whatever happens, you'll always have a big family with us." He chuckled. What did she say?

"Yeah. Sokka is like my brother, Suki is like the sister I never had, Toph is a fuzzy little pet, Aang is really the reincarnant of my great grandfather, and you-" He stopped mid-sentence.

"Who am I?" she asked, leaning away from him. This better be good.

"Well, you kind of remind me of my mother." he replied, face going red. Katara didn't know what to think about this.

"Your mother must have been a brilliant, beautiful, caring, devoted woman." she said, flipping her hair in a girly-girl fashion. She could sense a wave relief leaving him.

"She was." He paused and took both of her hands in his and kissed them softly. "But our love is a little different." She cocked her head to one side.

"Different? How?" she asked.

"Different like this." Without warning, he closed the distance between them and planted a kiss on her waiting lips. At first, it was sweet and innocent, but then it began to grow more passionate. In reaction, she put her arms around his neck and intertwined her fingers in his raven hair. Slowly, he leaned against her, pushing her back, into a pillow. Now, he was leaning over her, hands on both sides. Soon, she pulled away, suddenly exhausted and gasping for air. They both breathed heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. Suddenly, Zuko realized that she was trapped underneath him, so he sat up.

"I guess we should be going to bed, now." he said, rubbing the back of his head. Katara sighed, slightly disappointed.

"I guess. Suki said that she wanted to take me dress shopping. I don't know why, but she said that I don't wear enough purple." Hearing this, Zuko made a mental note to give Suki a good talking-to tomorrow, before she and Katara left.

"I think you look nice in purple." he said, trying to cover the shaky tone in his voice.

"Thanks... well, I guess I'll say goodnight, then." He pulled her close one last time and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"I love you." he whispered, before letting her go. Before she left the room, Katara tirned to face him one last time.

"I love you too."

* * *

That morning, Katara was woken by a dress being thrown at her face. When she removed the garment, she saw Suki standing there, holding two pairs of boots. One was completely covered in gray fur, the other were navy blue leather with one white stripe of fur going down the middle. Katara blew a strand of hair our of her face and rolled her eyes. "Suki, what are you doing? It's too early." and she pulled the covers over her face.

"We need to get a head-start on today's agenda." She yanked the covers away from Katara and threw the white boots back in the closet. "First, we're going to the tea shop on the square, then, we'll go to the spa for a thourough pampering, after that, we're going to spend the rest of afternoon at the dress shop, then, we'll finish it off with an evening at the theatre." Katara rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

"I thought we were just going shopping for a little while. You never said anything about tea and the theatre." Suki stomped over to where Katara was seated.

"You and I are going to have a girls' day out, whether you like it or not. Now, get dressed. We're already behind schedule." With that, Suki left Katara to get dressed in what she had picked out for her. It was a deep blue dress with white accents at the bottom, around the neck-line, and around the sleeves. Katara slipped into the dress and the shoes, she stuck her silver comb in her hair and sauntered out the door. Everyone was sitting at the breakfast table when she arrived. The boys and Toph were leaning inward, towards each other, speaking in hushed tones.

"Oh, yeah. She'll love that." he said, pointing to something in Zuko's hand. Before she had a chance to see what it was, he whipped it out of her sight and sat up straight.

"Hey, Katara!" At the same time, Sokka, Aang, and Toph all stared at her with frightened looks on their faces. In unison, they all spoke.

"Hey Katara." Something fishy was going on.

"What were you all just talking about, just now?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest like an over-protective mother. They all looked around at each other, murmering small _"uuuh..."s_. Sokka was the first to respond.

"About breakfast! It's delicious!" he said, excitedly. Toph agreed.

"Oh yeah, Sugar Queen! These stewed sea-prunes are to... _die_ for." Katara was about to ask for the truth, whenSuki grabbed her by the arm.

"We don't have time for breakfast. We'll eat at the tea shop. Bye, guys." With that, she grabbed their parkas from the hooks on the walls and marched out the door. As Katara stepped into the blinding morning sun, she wondered what Toph and the others were talking about. What was so secret that even _Zuko _couldn't tell her. As quickly as the thought entered her mind, it was shoved out by Suki's voice. "You need to try their frozen teas. They're the best."

"Suki? Do you know what they were talking about? I think it has something to do with me." Suki didn't slow her pace, but just turned toward Katara.

"Who?"

"Nevermind." Katara was determined that sooner or later, she would find out.


	6. Girls' Day Out

Suki dragged Katara along until they were three blocks away from the house, then let go. She led her through the streets until they came to the main square, where a large ice-fountain had been erected. It was a large statue of Princess Yue, hands out-stretched with water spouting from them. In Katara's opinion, it was one of the most beautiful things in the Norhtern Water Tribe, next to the spirit oasis. The two girls enjoyed breakfast in the corner tea shop. After eating, Suki insisted that Katara try a frozen tea.

"Suki, I don't want anything else. Let's get to the spa." she pleaded, after Suki had already ordered the drinks.

"Katara, you really need to loosen up. You act like you're a mom, but you're not; you're sixteen." The waitress brought back the frozen teas and they sipped on them.

"So. Have you and Sokka decided on a date for your wedding?" Katara asked, tired of the prolonged silence between them.

"Not yet. He wants to have it at the South Pole, and I want to have it on Kyoshi Island. We can't seem to agree on anything."

"Every relationship has it's disagreements." replied Katara, trying to lighten the mood. She slurped up the last of her drink.

"I guess... So, how are things with you and Hotman?" she asked, resting her head on her hands. Katara was now sensing that girl-to-girl bonding that she had missed.

"We're doing well. I know he's nervous about finding his mom, but something else is bothering him. I'm not sure what it is, though." Suki shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then finished of her drink as well.

"I... haven't really noticed. I'm sure it's just the whole "mom" thing." With that, she laid five gold pieces on the table and started toward the door. Katara followed close behind. At the spa, the workers clearly knew who they were. The manager of the establishment came to them and offered their most extensive pampering. Just as Katara was about to refuse, Suki spoke up. "We'll take the best you've got." The woman bowed and summoned two other women. After their massages, Katara and Suki were given an expensive mud bath. Katara was reminded of her girls day out with Toph, and how different it had been. Toph made Katara feel more like a mother, while Suki made her feel like a normal teenage girl. After the mud bath, they were graced with thourough manicures and pedicures, which made both of them giggle. At last, it was time for the makeovers. This included hair and make up. Suki was given straight hair, red lips, green eye-lids, and black coal around the eyes. Katara's hair was curled, using waterbending, she was given glossy lips, blue eye lids, and black coal. By the time they were finished, Katara could honestly say that there was no better place to get a make over other than the North Pole.

"Now, you look like a princess." Suki said, looking at Katara. Ske stared at herself in the mirror, marveling at the beautiful girl on the other side.

"So do you." she replied, eyeing Suki's new look as well. Both of them looked as if they were about to attend a ball, and they were the center of attention.

"We'd better get to the dress shop before all the good ones are taken." Suki said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. Katara smiled and headed after her, still thinking about what the boys were talking about that morning. She'd find out soon enough.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the house, everyone was offering their ideas for Zuko's proposal, while he searched for a stone. Today was one of his few chances to work on the necklace without Katara wandering around the house.

"Take her to the statue of Yue! That's a romantic spot." said Sokka.

"Too crowded. It has to be some place special to _us_." he replied.

"Take her to the spirit oasis!" said Aang.

"The spirit oasis isn't for making marriage proposals. It's more of a meditation spot." he answered. All that morning, he searched for the right spot and a special stone. Zuko went to the city jeweler, but found nothing that would satisfy his need to please Katara. When he returned to the house, everyone was there, except for Aang. Sokka said that he had gone to the spirit oasis to meditate.

* * *

Aang sat in the center of the oasis, focusing on the spirits Tui and La, dancing in the water before him. Almost immediately, a blanket of fog enveloped the place. Aang opened his eyes and saw the beautiful Princess Yue floating before him. He rose to his feet and bowed.

"It's good to see you, Avatar Aang." she said, her voice mimicking the fluency of water.

"I'm glad to see you too, Yue." he responded.

"What brings you here, today?" she asked, moving forward. Aang thought about the request he was about to make, and he worded it carefully.

"I need an early wedding present for my friend. He's going to propose and I think I know how you can help me help him." She said nothing for a while, then smiled, knowingly.

"This is about Katara and Zuko, isn't it."

"Yes. They love each other in a way that I never thought possible. I want the both of them to know that there are no hard feelings." Yue smiled, bent down, and stuck her silvery hand into the water.

"I have the perfect gift for you, but you must promise not to open it. It must only be seen first, by Zuko, or else it will lose it's spiritual effect." When she raised her hand from the pond, she held something small, wrapped in a white, silk cloth.

"What is it?" he asked out of excitement. She handed it slowly to him.

"I can't tell you." She gave the cloth-wrapped object to Aang, who in turn, put it in his pocket. Whatever it was, it was abnormally cold.

"Thank you, Yue. I trust that this will be the perfect gift for them." Without another word, the moon spirit faded away, and Aang was left alone. Without the slightest hesitation, he darted from the oasis, and back towards the house.

* * *

As Zuko sat in silence in his room, he contemplated the events that were to come. There were overriding questions that clung to his every thought as he worried. When and how was he going to propose? What would her answer be? Would they find his mother? Will she be the same? How was he going to deal with the Fire Sages when he got home? In an attempt to get his thoughts in order, he planned out the coming day. They would take Appa and visit the islands off the coast. He was bound and determined to find these islands and seek out that precious woman that had been lost to him for so long. His mental wanderings were soon interrupted by a knock on the door. Reluctantly, he rose from the bed and opened the door. It was Aang.

"Zuko! I've got something for you!" he exclaimed as he shoved his way into the room.

"What is it?" he asked. Aang reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in white cloth. He took the article and stared at the brilliant wrappings. "What is this?" he said, beginning to unwrap the gift.

"I don't know. Yue gave it to me. Call it an early wedding present." he said, shrugging his shoulders. Finally, Zuko pulled away the last layer of silk from Aang's present. What lay underneath was a bright, gleaming stone. The minute he laid eyes on it, an array of colors radiated from it, bathing the room in light. His mind immediately went back to the firebending masters and the beautiful fire they could produce. Suddenly, the light was drawn back into the stone. It was now emitting a subtle glow from the center. Careful not to touch it, afraid of what it would do next, he wrapped in the cloth and turned to Aang, who looked as though he hadn't seen anything at all. The boy just stared at him as if he were crazy. "Zuko? Are you... uh... looking for something?" His mouth fell open in shock.

"You mean you didn't see it?" he asked, motioning all around the room.

"See what? Nothing happened." How could he not see it? It was as clear as day. This stone practically exploded with light.

"The lights? The colors? You didn't see them?" he asked. Aang shook his head, then suddenly straightened up in realization.

"Maybe that's what Yue meant. She said that you had to be the first to see the stone." Zuko stared at him in confusion. Sometimes, the whole _Avatar _thing was a bit too much for him. He approached Zuko and looked down at the stone. "This came from the bottom of the spirit oasis and Yue, herself, touched it. It must have some sort of spiritual property that separates it from any other." Zuko didn't say anyhting, but just stood there, staring at the blue rock in his hands. It still rested in the silk, but he could feel the freezing sensation of the gem.

"Thank you, Aang. It's perfect." He wrapped the stone in the silk again, careful not to touch it, afraid of what would happen. The boy said nothing, but just bowed and exited the room in silence.

Not wasting any time, Zuko seated himself at the table in his room, and opened the cloth, examining the stone. He took out his dagger and tried to make a slight scratch on the side of the gem, but nothing happened. He pressed harder on the dagger, but it didn't do the least bit of damage. How was he going to carve a pendant if the stone wasn't going to cooperate? Cautiously, he touched the gem with the tip of his finger, and added a slight heat to the stone. Immediately, it changed from light blue, to a hot orange. Quickly, he pulled his hand away and gasped when he saw a small indention where his finger had been. _"What?"_ he mumbled to himself. Slowly, the stone changed back to a bright blue. Again, he took the gem in his hand, and heated it a little more. This time, it molded to the shape of his palm. Now, he knew exactly what to do. Immediately, he went to work on Katara's necklace.

* * *

Katara and Suki combed the dress shop until they found their dream dresses. Katara's was a light blue gown with purple accents on the sleeves and hem. Suki's was a dark green dress with light green trim on the sleeves and hem. They stood in the dressing rooms, ogling at their reflections, eyeing every angle of the dresses. Finally, it was time to buy the gowns and head for the theatre. Since the writing of "The Boy in the Iceburg", theatres had become extremely popular around the world. Everyone loved to see the story of the Avatar and his friends' journey across the world. With a few adjustments by the stars, the play was a huge success.

When Katara and Suki left the dress shop, it was almost dark outside. One could see the moon and the stars clearly, at this point.

"So, what exactly are we going to see?" asked Katara, as they strode into the lobby of the new theatre.

"Zuko suggested 'Love Amongst the Dragons'. He said that since it wasn't the Ember Island Players doing the show, it would be pretty good." She looked at Katara and smiled. Katara couldn't help but let out a slight giggle. "Love Amongst the Dragons" was a Fire Nation play, but since the end of the war, cultures hand mingled

"Yeah, they _were_ pretty awful." She shifted her dress bag in her arms as they sat in their seats. This time, they weren't in the nose-bleed section, but in the front row, courtesy of the theatre manager. The lights dimmed, the curtains parted, and the show began. She had to admit, with the effects aided by waterbending, the performance was way better then the one on Ember Islnd. This was also one of the few things she noticed about the play, because she spent the majority of the performance worrying about Zuko. At the end of the show, all the actors came and bowed while the audience applauded them. Katara and Suki exited the building with the crowd, wanting nothing more than to be home, with their friends.

"So, what did you think of the play?" asked Suki as they approached their street. Katara hardly heard the question at all.

"Huh? Oh. It was nice." she replied, trying to sound like she knew what she was talking about.

"You didn't catch any of it, did you?" Suki said, shifting her dress over her shoulder, with a slight smirk on her face.

"I just had some other stuff on my mind... I have to admit, though, it was better than the Ember Island Players." Suki giggled at Katara's comment and put her arm around her shoulders.

"Katara, a room full of spider-monkeys would be better than those guys." It was Katara's turn to giggle.

"I really had fun, today, Suki. The last time I went on a girls'-day-out, it was before the comet, and I was with Toph." Suki stared at her, mouth wide open.

"Wow." was all she could say before they reached the front door of the house. Suki pushed the door open and strode elegantly into the room. "Boys?! And Toph?! We're home!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Toph all came scurrying down the stairs.

"Sweet! You guys are home. I was getting tired of hanging out with Twinkletoes, Snoozles, and Hot-head, over here." The other boys scowled at the blind earthbender. "So, what'd you get me?" she asked, excitedly. Katara scoffed and reached into her shopping bag and pulled out a pair of gray, fuzzy boots.

"Here, Toph. These are for you. I hope you like them." Toph took the boots and smiled.

"Great. Something more to cover my feet." Everyone laughed.

"Toph, your walking on ice, anyway. You're not going to run aroud with bare feet." added Suki, making her way over to the stairs. Sokka stopped her before she could ascend.

"Aren't you guys going to tell us about your day?" he asked pathetically. She smiled at him.

"Mmmmm... nah." With that, she dissappeared up the stairs. Everyone looked at Katara, expecting her to let them in, but she just shook her head and headed up the stairs after Suki.

"We're both exhausted. Let us rest tonight, then we'll tell you about our_ adventures _tomorrow, at breakfast." The other's just sighed with relief and followed her up the stairs to their own rooms. Before Katara could open her door, she heard someone's voice close behind her.

"You know? I'm not a big fan of secrets." She turned to see Zuko standing there, before her with a smirk on his face.

"Well, neither am I." he replied, sharply, turning toward the door, again.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" he asked, grasping her arm and turning her back, towards him. She dropped the bags on the floor and crossed her arms.

"I know that you're nervous about solving the mystery of your mom, but I feel like there's something you're not telling me. Something important." Zuko didn't say anything, but just looked at the ground and smiled. He put both hands on her arms and chuckled a little.

"Katara, sometimes, we keep secrets from the ones we love, only to add a little excitement to the relationship." He looked up at her, making her heart race with those stupid golden eyes of his. Quickly, she averted her gaze and scoffed in frustration. Zuko took the oppurtunity to plant a kiss on her cheek, that made her forget her frustration towards him. She closed her eyes, and savored the kiss. Finally, he pulled away, and whispered in her ear. "Believe me. You'll find out soon enough." Instead of leaving her alone, he lingered there and touched his forehead, gently to hers, sending electrifying currents through her spine. In return, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you, today. It's good to be home." she mumbled. For a long time, they stood like that, enjoying each other's company for the moment, until Zuko moved away and walked to his own room. "Goodnight." he said, glancing back at her.

"I'll see you in the morning." she responded. Hearing this, his gaze faultered and he paused.

"...Yeah. In the morning." Without another word, he disappeared inside his own room, and she went into her own.


	7. Rescue Mission

Katara lay in bed that night, completely incapable of sleep. Normally, the snow/rain would have lulled her to sleep, but tonight, that didn't work very well. Her mind swam with suggestions as to what Zuko meant earlier. Hopefully, it wasn't another trip to Ember Island. Apparently, when you work for the government, there's no such thing as a vacation. Finally giving up, she rolled out of the bed and headed for the stairs. She planned on trying her hand at one of those frozen teas, but stopped when she reached the living room. There stood Zuko, dressed in his black Blue Spirit get-up (minus the mask), about to open the door.

"What are you doing?!" she whispered, causing him to jump at the sound of her voice. He sighed in defeat, for he had been caught.

"Please try to understand. I have to do this on my own."

"And what exactly would that be?" she asked walking toward him. He turned toward her and crossed his arms over his chest, asserting himself as _The Man_.

"I'm going to find my mother. Tonight. She 's been lost for too long and I'm not waiting around anymore. We came to the North Pole to find her, and that is exactly what I intend to do." It sounded, to Katara, like his mind had been made up.

"I guess I can't ask you to wait until tomorrow." she said, approaching him slowly. His face remained stolid.

"No. I'm going tonight. I'm sorry, Katara, but there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me." He turned toward the door and was about to open it, when she put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"At least let me go with you." His eyes grew wide with fright as he whipped around to look at her.

"No, Katara. There's a big storm coming, and I don't want you to get hurt. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She put both arms on her hips and tried to make herself taller.

"That gives me all the more reason to come along." she countered.

"No, Katara. I'm not letting you put yourself in danger." She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Zuko. Please. You're looking at one of the most powerful waterbenders in the world. I don't think you'll come to much danger in the middle of the ocean with me by your side." How could he argue with that logic? She turned on her heal, and headed back, toward the stairs. "I'm going to get dressed. When I get back, I expect you to still be here, or else I will come and find you."

"But, Katara-" Before he could come up with a rebutle, he heard her door click shut. _'Women'._

_..._

Moments later, Katara returned, dressed in her own black clothing, to find him sitting on the couch before the fireplace. He was bent forward, resting his head on his hands, obviously thinking deeply. "Alright. Are you ready?" she asked, putting a light hand on his shoulder, jolting out of his contemplative state. Quickly, he rose and faced her.

"No." Zuko grabbed his dual swords and opened the door, letting the freezing night air blow in the house. "Let's go." he said, in a dark tone.

"Wait. Put this on." Katara pulled two long, black cloaks from the hall closet and handed one to him. "The nights here, are freezing, and I'm not going to risk either of us getting sick." She tossed one of the cloaks top him, and he put it on without hesitation. Without another word, the two of them were out the door. Zuko walked toward the stable where Appa was kept and pulled on the doors.

"Maybe taking Appa wouldn't be the best idea." she suggested, pausing behind him.

"Why not?" he asked, shutting the doors. Katara could hear the loud snores of the bison coming from inside.

"First, Aang won't be too happy when he finds that we took Appa without his permission. Second, we don't have anything that will keep him warm enough for the night. It's probably best that he stay here, and we just take a small boat. That way, it'll be easier to navigate through the waves." Zuko didn't say anything for a while. He just sighed and and walked toward the harbor, where a dozen boats were kept.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, still skeptical about the whole "boat" idea. He stepped into a small fishing boat, then helped her in as well.

"Yes. FLying in a dangerous storm is what got Aang trapped in an iceburg for a hundred years." She leaned over the side of the boat and untied it from the dock. "We wouldn't want that to happen." Zuko couldn't help but laugh at her comment.

"No, I guess not." At that moment, a jagged bolt of lightning lit the sky and a loud clap of thunder split through the air. They both looked at each other. "We'd better hurry and get out there before this gets any worse." Katara nodded in agreement.

"Alright." She took her place at the front of the boat and raised her arms. "Hold on tight. This will get a little bumpy." Without warning, she threw her arms behind her and the boat went dashing out, onto the sea. Zuko held his arm in front of his face, trying to block the ice-cold drops of water from his face. As they rode, the wind picked up, the rain became heavier, and the thunder and lightning became more frequent. Every ten seconds, there was a flash of lightning that would come closer and closer to the small boat. Katara slowed the craft and turned around to face Zuko. "I need you to try to redirect some of this lightning!" He looked at her, wide-eyed.

"What?! I can't do that! I don't even know where it's going to strike next!" he exclaimed, gripping the sides of the boat.

"Zuko! I need you to try! It's a better chance than doing nothing!" He gave in and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, so he was the tallest one there. "I'll try to keep the ride as smooth as possible, but I can't make any promises!" she shouted, trying to be heard over the roar of the tempest. He nodded his head, letting her know he understood. Without another word, she turned and they resumed their trip. Zuko had an incredibly hard time keeping his balance _and _keeping an eye on the clouds. All around him, the clouds lit up, but he stood firm on the boat as best he could. The constant rumble of thunder and the constant rock of the boat didn't do much to calm him. Suddenly, just as Katara had predicted, a bolt of lightning split through the clouds, straight towards the small boat. As quickly as he could, he shot his hand up, toward the flash, _in, down, up, out,_ and shot the bolt toward a nearby glacier. He smiled inwardly at himself; he had saved their lives. Just as his spirits were lifting, however, they fell again.

"Zuko! Look out!" Katara was staring fearfully at the glacier. Zuko followed her gaze and gasped when he saw the emense glacier crumble and fall into the ocean, sending a huge shock wave in their direction.

"We have to out-run it!" he shouted.

"We can't out-run a wave! I'll have to bend us through it!" she replied, standing and facing the monstrous wave head-on. The boat had now become incredibly unstable, as they both stood in it.

"Katara! You can't bend through a wave like that! It's too big and it's moving too fast!" he shouted, but her mind was made up.

"I can do it, Zuko! I have to! It's our only chance!" Before he had time to respond, the wave had come upon the small boat and lifted them into the air.

Katara brought her hands together in front of her, like a knife, and dove into the wall of water. Within seconds, she was on the other side of the wave, and the boat was still in one piece. "I told you I could do it, Zuko!" she shouted triumphantly, but there was no reply. Quickly, she jerked her head around, but there was no Zuko. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart stopped for a split second. "ZUKO! ZUKO!" she cried, searching her surroundings for the firebender, but he was no where to be found. Not knowing what exacly to do, she paniced and bent down, towards the water, trying to see through it, but it was too dark. Standing back up again, she tried calling his name. "ZUKO! ANSWER ME!" At that moment, a bright, orange flare errupted from the water, almost thirty feet away. As fast as she could, she drove the boat over to where she saw the fire. There, floating on the surface of the water, was Zuko. She reached into the water and grabbed him by the cloak, just before he began to sink. With a great effort, she hoisted him out of the freezing water, and into the boat. To her relief he began to pant and shiver.

"K-Katara..." He trailed off, not able to speak any longer. Quickly, she lifted the soaking wet cloak from his shoulders and replaced it with her own, in an attempt to keep him warm. _"I have to get him out of the weather and into some place warm. I'll have o find this island fast."_ Immediately, she got at the head of the boat and drove it toward the area that Zuko showed her on the map. At this point, finding the Lady Ursa wasn't important, it was keeping Zuko alive.

For what seemed like forever, she sped along the surface of the water, dodging ice floats and dangerous waves. Her joints ached with cold and exhaustion, but she knew tha she had to press on. The island had to be there, it just had to be. Soon, she spotted a large land mass on the distant horizon. She could've stopped there, but she didn't. The freezing rain seeped into her clothes without her cloak, but she didn't care. "Stay with me, Zuko!" she would shout periodically. He wouldn't say anything, but he would mumble something inaudible. _"It's better than nothing."_ Eventually, Katara ran the small boat onto the frozen shore of the small island. She lept out of the craft, grabbed Zuko, and headed toward what looked like a small igloo. Through all this, her limbs and joints screamed with pain, but her care for the man at her side was far greater, right now. She wanted to collapse right there on the ice, but she kept going. Finally, she made it to the fur pelt on the front of the igloo. Katara patted the pelt and waited for an answer.

"Who's there?" called a woman's voice from inside. She sounded somewhat surprised.

"Please! I need to come inside right now!" she called. Zuko rolled his head, trying to stay concious, but it wouldn't last much longer in his condition. Katara shifted him onto her back, where he wouldn't have to put any weight on his own feet. The hood of her cloak fell over his face, hiding it from the weather. In her weak state, the extra weight almost made her fall, but something held her up. Suddenly, the flap on the igloo opened up to reveal a tall woman with a kind face. She took one look at the soaking couple and aided them into the shelter.

"Put your friend in front of the fire. I'll heat up some tea." she said, before disappearing into a stairwell that led underground. Quickly, Katara lay Zuko on a mat in front of a small fireplace and removed his cloak. She bent the rest of the water from his clothes and threw it to the side.

"Zuko?" she pleaded, raising his head from the floor and running her fingers through his hair. Soon, his eyes popped open and he took in a huge breath. Katara let out a sigh of relief as he continued to cough up small amounts of water. She pulled him up and wrapped her aching arms around his shoulders, pressing his head against her shoulder. "I thought I'd lost you." she whispered into his hair.

"You saved me." he replied, wrapping his weak arms around her waist. At that moment, the woman entered the room, carrying a steaming pot of tea. She set the pot down, beside Zuko and poured it into a small cup. Before the cup reached his hands, she gasped and dropped it to the floor. In her eyes was a mixture of shock and something else that Katara couldn't place. Zuko's face was exactly the same. They looked eerily the same as they stared at each other with the same expression. Only when Zuko spoke, did she understand why.

"Mom?" Katara gasped. That's why they looked so much alike.

"Zuko?" She put both hands on either sides of his face, tears filling her eyes. "Is it really you?" she asked, a small smile creeping onto her features. Katara looked over to Zuko, who now had tears falling down his face.

"It's me, Mom." Suddenly, he pulled her into a hug. "I've finally found you." Katara felt happy tears prick at her own eyes, but she faught them back.

"I never thought I'd see you again. It's been so long." Zuko pulled away and looked at his mother.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you." She cut him off with a skinny finger.

"That doesn't matter, now." She pulled him back into another hug. "Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you."

"I always thought you were... you know... dead, but on the day of the eclipse, Fa- Ozai told me that you were banished." She looked down at the floor.

"I was. But I made a living here, in the North Pole. The people here, were very kind to me." Katara tried to hold back the tears, but without much luck. When the tears began to flow, she had to excuse herself to another room. Half of it was the great happiness she felt for Zuko and Ursa. The other half was a sadness for her own mother. What she wouldn't give to know that there was a chance that Kaya was still alive. As she was still lost in her own thoughts, she heard her name mentioned in Zuko and Ursa's conversation.

"Who is she?" asked Ursa.

"That's Katara. She's one of the kindest people you'll ever know. She's the reason I'm here right now." he replied. Katara smiled as he poured out his compliments.

"Is she a waterbender?" his mother asked.

"Yeah, probably the best out there. She trained the Avatar. She's the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." he answered. There was a certain softness that entered his voice when he spoke of her, that she was proud of. Suddenly, he called her name. "Katara? Can you come here, please." She rose from her place on the stairwell and entered the living room where Ursa and Zuko sat. "I never got to properly introduce you to my mom, the Lady Ursa. Mom, this is Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe." He took her hand in his and she sat next to him, on the mat. Ursa smiled at her, as if she were her own mother.

"I must thank you for bringing me my son." Again, that negative feeling entered Katara's heart, and her smile receded into the shadows.

"It was... my pleasure." she replied, looking down, at the floor. She felt Zuko squeeze her hand, lovingly. She looked up at him, then to his mother. Their facial features were extremely close. Her eyes burned just as brightly as his did. Her hair was ebony, like his, but much longer. Suddenly, Katara didn't want any part of this whole "Mom" ordeal, so she stood and listened.

"It sounds like the storm has subsided. We should probably get back to the mainland." Without another word, she started for the door, and looked out, at the sky. The clouds had clearly moved away from them, leaving a peaceful path back to the North Pole. What was this feeling. Shouldn't she be happy for Zuko and his mother? After all, she had been missing for almost six years. He was happy and she should be happy for him.

Soon, she had the boat ready to go, and Zuko and Ursa had emerged from the house with what few belongings she had. The bags were hastily tossed into the boat and the trio was off. Katara listened as the other two had their conversation, while she steered the craft toward the mainland. Katara stayed silent the entire boat ride back.

At the shore, Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph all stood there with angry looks on their faces. The clouds had cleared, revealing that they had been gone all night, and most of that day. As soon as Katara hopped of the boat, Sokka let loose on the scolding. "Katara! How dare you go off and leave us wondering where the heck you guys are! We were worried sick! You guys could've been- Who's that?" he asked, pointing at Ursa, who had already exited the boat.

"Oh. Why dont you let Zuko tell you?" she said, with a fake smile. Without another word, she walked toward the house.

"Katara? Are you okay? You seem kind of... down." said Aang, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him with the same fake smile.

"I'm fine, Aang. Maybe I'm just a little tired." This, however, wasn't entirely true. Katara was still harboring some sort of resentment toward the relationship shared by Zuko and Ursa. She knew she was supposed to be happy for them, and she was, for a while. Now, could she be _jealous? _No. She wasn't jealous! That's just immature! She was happy for him. Happy that he found his long lost mother; the one who would rock him to sleep when he was little, and comfort him on stormy nights, the mother that she lost. Aang looked at her as if he knew her secret, but then he just shrugged and smiled.

"Well, get some rest. You and Zuko need it after that rescue mission." Katara nodded her head, turned, and walked into the house, leaving the others to meet Lady Ursa without her.


	8. Confessions

That evening, the entire group had a large dinner in the dining room of their house, in celebration of Lady Ursa. Everyone sat around the table, filling her in on all that had happened since she had been banished. Ursa was filled with questions as well.

"So, if the Avatar defeated Ozai, then who is the new Fire Lord?" she asked, looking at the faces before her. Everyone looked over to Zuko, waiting for him to answer the question.

"I am." he replied, simply. Ursa gasped and threw her hand up to her mouth.

"My son is the Fire Lord? I never thought I'd see the day." Everyone smiled in her realization. Zuko beamed with pride. Katara, however, sat in silence as everyone shared stories. For a while, she played with the food on her plate, lost in her own thoughts. "You are all so kind, but I want to learn more about my son's heroine, over here." Katara looked up to see Ursa looking directly at her, with a motherly smile. Everyone else looked at Katara in question.

"You saved Zuko?" asked Sokka from the end of the table. Katara could feel her cheeks go red under the pressure.

"It was nothing." she said, trying to get the attention off herself.

"It was most deffinitely something, Katara." said Zuko from beside her. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have found my mother, _or_ be alive." Ursa giggled from across the table.

"This girl is far too modest. You were right, Zuzu. She _is_ one of the kindest people I've known." Everyone snickered at the use of Zuko's family pet name. Through all this gratitude, Katara only felt worse. Why did her mother have to die? Why couldn't she have just been banished like Zuko's mom? Why couldn't Katara just be happy for him instead of feeling this stupid jealousy?

"Please excuse me. I'm going to bed, now." With that, Katara rose from her seat at the table and headed up the stairs. She didn't bother to listen to what the others had to say about her sudden exit. All she wanted was to crawl under her bed and hide there for the rest of her life. Not only was she jealous of Zuko's newfound family, but now, she had some appologizing to do. After shutting the door, Katara plopped herself onto her bed and hugged her knees up under her chin, creating a barrier between herself and the rest of the world. _"I'm happy for them... I'm happy for them... I'm not jealous... I'm not jealous..." _These thoughts echoed throughout her mind, causing confused tears to streak her face. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Katara? Is everything alright?" said Ursa from the other side of the door. Quickly regaining her composure, Katara wiped the tears from her face and answered.

"Yeah. I'm fine" she replied, trying to sound as _fine_ as possible.

"Can I come in, please?" she asked. For a moment, Katara almost thought that it was her own mother standing outside her door. There was no fooling this woman.

"Yes." she answered. Ursa opened the door to see Katara balled up on her bed.

"Something is bothering you." Katara didn't say anything, but just nodded her head. Maybe it was the mother factor, but something told her that she could trust this woman more than any other. She sat down on the bed and continued. "Zuko told me everything." Katara's head jerked up in surprise.

"What did he tell you?" she asked, wiping another tear from he cheek.

"Oh, everything. Most of it was about you." She inspected her nails, a trait that Katara had observed on more than one occasion from Azula. "He loves you, you know?" Katara's face flushed slightly upon hearing this.

"Yeah, I know." she replied.

"He also told me about how you lost your mother." Katara's eyes went wide. She didn't mind Zuko knowing that story, but Ursa, someone she had just met, was a little much. More annoying tears slid down her face, but this time, the didn't go unnoticed. Ursa reached up and wiped them away with her fingers, just like Kaya had when Katara was little. "I just want you to know that I will always be here for you. I know I'm not your mother, but since you saved my son's life, I'd consider you one of the family." Katara sniffed, overwhelmed by the gentleness that Ursa showed towards her,almost as if she knew what she was going through.

"Thank you, Lady Ursa. I appreciate your compassion, even though I was so rude earlier." The older woman smiled and wrapped her arms around Katara, as if she were her own daughter. When they pulled away, they both had tears in their eyes. Katara giggled at the sight of them. "You just remind me so much of my mother. I've gotten over her death, but I still miss her every day." Ursa stood and made her way toward the door.

"You are like the daughter I never had. If there's anything you need, come and find me." Katara nodded and looked down at the bunched up hem of her dress. Shortly after Ursa left, there was another knock on the door.

"Come in." This time, it was Zuko.

"I heard you guys talking." he said. Katara stood and crossed her arms playfully.

"So, you were eavesdropping?" she asked. His eyes grew wide with fright.

"No! I just thought I should come and talk to you. You seemed upset at dinner." Katara rubbed her arms and averted her gaze to her right, out the window. Was she that noticable?

"It was nothing. I was just... uh... look, you don't need to worry about it." she said, waving her hand dismissively. Unfortunately, Zuko never gave up without a fight, so this wasn't going to be easy. She watched him cross his arms over his chest.

"I think it _is _something I need to worry about. You told me a long time ago that we needed to be honest with each other." Katara jerked her eyes up at him with an accusing expression.

"I'll be honest with you if you'll be honest with me." she said, sitting down on the bed. He adopted a blank expression. Typical.

"I _am_ honest with you." he exclaimed. More tears pricked at Katara's eyes, but these were angry tears. Did he think she was stupid.

"What were you talking about with Aang, Sokka, and Toph, yesterday. What was so bad that you couldn't tell me, Zuko?" To her horror, he had nothing else to say. He just looked to the ground, as if he were giving up.

"I'm sorry, Katara. I hate keeping things from you. It's like I told you before, sometimes, it makes things-" she cut him off.

"-makes things more _interesting_?" He let out a long sigh, then led her over to the bed and sat her down, while he stood before her.

"Yes... but maybe it's time you knew." Katara looked up at his handsome face, now baring a pained expression. She prepared for the worst possible news. _"I can't be the Fire Lord anymore, Ozai escaped, Azula is on a revenge rampage for you, ... we're through." _She had to block out that last one. He continued, calmly. "First, I need you to close your eyes." She didn't know what to think at this point. He noticed her unease. "Just trust me." Slowly, she closed her eyes and waited. Suddenly, there were a pair of lips pressed against hers. This kiss, however, was different from the others they had shared. This was longing, passionate, intense; just like him. She felt his hands reach up and go to either side of her neck. She, in turn, snaked her arms over his shoulders and intertwined her fingers in his hair. Slowly, to her dismay, he pulled away and smiled brilliantly. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to have her eyes closed, but it mattered not. Zuko pulled a small mirror from behind his back and held it up to her face.

"Look." he commanded. Slowly, she glanced at her reflection. There was deffinitely something different about her, now.

"What is... this?" she asked, gazing at a beautiful necklace that had somehow snuck onto her neck. It's ribbon was a deep, rich purple, while the circle shaped pendant was sky-blue. At closer inspection, there was a thick, twisting column of water and fire in the center. In the background, was, what looked like, the Fire Nation and Water Tribe sybols combined. Her mouth dropped open as she beheld the masterpiece. Then, she looked at Zuko, who had dropped down to one knee.

"Katara, I want you to know that... I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He set the mirror down and took both her hands in his. For a spplit second, her heart stopped beating and she was floating. "Will you marry me?" For a moment, Katara felt as though she were going to faint on the spot. Common sense told her to say something, anything, but her brain didn't want to work for it. This wasn't an _"I really like you, maybe we should hand out." _It was a marriage proposal. Katara was still gazing at the beautiful necklace when she heard him speak again. "It's okay if you don't love me the way I love you. You don't have to-"

"Yes." she said, cutting him off. He stared at her wide-eyed, mouth agape. At this point, her brain was no londer in control. Her heart was doing all the talking. "Yes!" Her entheusiasm was increasing with each passing second. "I'll marry you. I... I'll marry you!"

Overwhelmed with unspeakable joy, Zuko threw his arms around her middle and hoisted her into the air, spinning her in circles. For a moment, the world around them stood still and let them bask in their newfound happiness. Nothing mattered except for the fact tha they loved each other and they were prepared to spend the rest of their lives with eachother, no matter what. After about three giddy spins, Zuko sat her down and let her catch her breath for a moment. Just when he thought nothing could ruin this moment, the door flew open. He had spoken too soon.


	9. Boo!

Wow. Um… major apologies, people. I didn't realize how caught up i could get. i'm reeeeeally sorry for the extremely long wait. I don't have a lot to offer here, but i'm just letting you know that I'm back.

* * *

Zuko's heart raced as he saw four tangled figures fall through the door, Toph, Aang, Sokka, and Suki. _'Of course...'_ All of their eyes immediately grew to twice their size in red-faced embarrassment. Zuko didn't know whether or not to be angry or continue with his initial happiness.

"Way to go, Toph!" said Sokka, getting up from the pile. Toph stood up directly after and stamped her foot.

"I wasn't the one who pushed us through the door, klutz!" she shouted back. Aang brushed himself off and resumed his monk-ish demeanor.

"Guys, we shouldn't been eaves dropping anyway."


	10. The First Argument Awww!

Hola amigos!! Sorry I made the last chapter so darn short. I felt like I had to get something done, just to let you know i didn't die or anything.

* * *

Zuko looked at Katara, catching her reaction to the interruption. She stood there, staring, with her mouth wide open in about the same shock that he had. Her cheeks were flushed as she put her hands on her hips like a mother. She prepared to scold them, but her chance was taken. As quickly as they came, the Gaang went, thanks to Ursa. She shuffled into the room immediately after, shoved them out and shut the door behind her, leaving the two alone once more.

_'Great.' _thought Zuko as he sat on the bed. _'I'll never get a second chance at that.' _Katara sensed his attitude and immediately put on a sympathetic smile. She sat down by his side and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Zuko couldn't help but smile. After a few moments of contemplative silence, Katara strode over to the window. Her hand was still clutched around the dazzling pendant.

"So... are you... um... allowed to... do this?" she asked awkwardly. He looked at her, confused.

"Do what?" he asked.

"You know, marry a waterbender." She shifted uncomfortably in her stance. Zuko immediately thought of his meeting with the Fire sages and felt her discomfort. Their disheartening words dtill rang in his ears, making him cringe. He had overcome so much more than their silly rules, in the past. He was the Fire Lord for Agni's sake! Shouldn't he be allowed to marry whomever he chose? The Fire sages would have to deal with his decision. This is what he truly wanted, more than anything.

"I make the rules in the Fire Nation, not my delegates. If they don't like it, they have every right to leave." he replied, his confidence building with every word. Still, something in the back of his mind said that there _would _be some people who would not agree. Katara sighed in relief of his news.

She looked out the window at a now navy blue sky. The stars shown down on the as if they knew what was going on. Katara leaned her head on Zuko's shoulder, just happy that they were safe and together.

"It's getting late... and we've got packing to do" he said, pulling away and heading away. With a quick peck on the forehead, he made for the doorway and left her to herself. Katara's thoughts were incredibly jumbled and she didn't know what to do next, except scream, but that would be very unbecoming of her.

* * *

Back at the palace, everyone, even the palace staff was amazed to see that Lady Ursa was alive, well, and had returned. Uncle Iroh greeted her with, not a formal bow, but a huge hug (then again, when was Uncle _ever_ formal?) "Ursa! It's been far too long!"

"Likewise, Iroh. I've missed you so much... or did I just miss your tea?" she asked, playfully. Iroh grabbed his sides and laughed histerically at her joke. One thing that not many people knew about the Lady Ursa was that she loved to joke around just as much as Iroh did.

Everyone was so happy to see that Ursa was back. She had been the polar opposite of her husband, Ozai. Next, Iroh grabbed Zuko and hugged him as well. "We'll have a feast tonight... you know... in case you have any _announcments_ you'd like to make" said Uncle as he passed Zuko for the rest of the group.

"They already know." replied Zuko as he turned away from his uncle. The servants carried the heaviest of their luggage.

"Hello, Iroh!" chirped Katara as she slid off of Appa, gracefully. Another hug was administered to the waterbender as she passed. As she turned to leave, she thought she saw a new twinkle in Iroh's eye. Katara couldn't help but smile.

* * *

That evening, everyone sat around the wooden table in the Fire Lord's private dining room and talked about Ursa's return and the upcoming wedding. Katara, Zuko, and Ursa were all huddled together at the end of the table, talking about the wedding too.

"Will you wear that necklace with your dress?" asked Ursa.

"Of course, but first, I have to find a dress."

"The silk for the band came from one of your dresses." Zuko said, staring at the necklace. Katara gasped.

"You cut one of your mother's dresses?" she asked, obviously disgusted at the act. Zuko and Ursa both snickered at Katara's reaction.

"Katara, it's a royal tradition to make something out of one of your mother's garments. What Zuko did wasn't vandalism. It was an act of love." said Ursa. Katara felt foolish for acting so. Her face blushed, badly. "So, where will this wedding be?" she continued. Katara and Zuko looked at each other.

"We haven't really thought about it." answered Zuko. He thought about it for a moment. "I think we should have it at the South Pole." he stated boldly. Katara frowned.

"Maybe it would be better if we had it here. I mean, the Fire Nation actually has a palace. Unless you want to get married in an igloo, I suggest we stay here." she replied.

"I'm tired of this hot weather. The South Pole would be a nice change." said Zuko.

"You were just in the North Pole yesterday." Katara retorted. At this point, Ursa was completely absorbed in another conversation.

"The North and South poles are _completely_ different. Besides, shouldn't we get married on your turf? I mean, you've lived here for two years now and you can't tell me that you're not tired of this place."

"The North and South poles are _sisters!_ Snow and ice; that's all that's there. And no. I'm not tired of the palace."

Neither of the two noticed that everyone was now staring at them.


	11. Oh no you didn't!

Everyone was staring at Katara and Zuko as they argued over their wedding. Sokka and Aang looked to Ursa to see if she would break up the fight. She was the mom after all.

"Aren't you going to say something?" asked Aang, finally. Ursa looked to the couple, then smiled at him.

"I think that if those two are mature enough to make a commitment as big as marriage, then they don't need a mother to break up their spats." Sokka and Aang looked at each other. They had never thought of it like that. Ursa inconspicuously cleared her throat to get peoples' attention. Putting a finger up to her mouth in a _"shhh" _gesture, she nodded towards the doors. Slowly and quietly, everyone stood and made for the doorway. To no one's surprise, Katara and Zuko stayed in there heated conversation.

"Look, Zuko. I'm just saying that the South Pole is really busy with the whole rebuilding thing going on. They probably don't want to have to deal with that _and _a big wedding." Katara insisted. Zuko stood, walked to one of the pillars, and leaned against it.

"Don't you want your wedding to be somewhere special though? I mean, you spend most of your time in the palace anyway." He said. Katara thought for a moment, then stood as well. As usual, she started stacking all the dishes, making it easier for the kitchen staff to clean it up. That was the typical Katara; always trying to make everyone's life easier… except for now.

"I _do _want this to be special. That's why the palace would be the perfect spot. I know you're tired of traveling, so it might be easier to stay here." Suddenly, there was a commotion going on outside the door. They heard Toph shouting.

"Let me go, Twinkle- toes!!!" She burst through the doors. "Why don't you two have a mock Agni Kai!!!" Sokka and Aang appeared on either side of Toph and began dragging her back out the door.

"Shut up, Toph! This isn't your problem to solve!" said Sokka, but Katara and Zuko had already heard enough.

"Wait, guys. That's a great idea!" shouted Katara. Zuko looked at her as if she were crazy.

"What?! That's a horrible idea! An Agni Kai can really get out of hand and I don't want you to get hurt." Katara was flattered at his protective comment.

"I appreciate your concern, but if I were you, I'd be more worried about myself." Of course, Katara was joking, but Toph was getting a little too much enjoyment out of it.

"Oooooooh! You got burned, Sparky!" she shouted.

"Quiet, Toph!" Aang replied.

"Oh please. I can take you in an Agni Kai any day, Katara." he snapped, walking towards her in a snooty manner. The waterbender just smiled. She advanced towards him to where their face were practically touching. Zuko's face had to have been bright red. Just when he thought they were going kiss, she stopped. Her eyes pierced directly into his. The room suddenly bacame twenty degrees hotter. She spoke, suddenly.

"I'll believe that when I see it." With that, Katara left the room in a huff.


	12. Numb

_Gaaaah!!!! i know that i've been taking forever on these chapters that seem to be no longer than like, 10 words! appologies...._

_

* * *

_

Zuko paced his room, contemplating why on earth he did what he just did. Iroh said nothing, but just sat in a large chair, watching his nephew tear himself apart. "I could've just let her have the wedding here and I wouldn't be in this situation!!!" Iroh chuckled.

"Never have I seen a pair of young people that were so different, but yet had so much in common." Zuko whirled around to stare at his uncle.

"What do you mean?! Katara and I are worlds apart! I was born into the most powerful family in the world and she... _(don't say peasant... don't say peasant) _... wasn't." He thought some more. "She's from the opposite side of the _world_! She wants to have the wedding here and I think we should have it at the South Pole." Zuko stopped and looked at his uncle for a rebuttle.

"Go on." Iroh said with a passive expression.

"Well, she's like... water. She's beautiful and... and healing... and kind. And what am I? I'm... I'm..." Zuko put a hand up to his scar, feeling the rough skin put there by none other than fire. Fire was dangerous, hot, painful, the exact opposite of water.

"You've pointed out all these differences between you and your betrothed," that word sent a tingle down his spine, "but there is one thing you have in common."

"Please don't say we love each other." Iroh stared at him for a moment. "Because I'm well of that!" Zuck assured him. Iroh laughed again.

"Yes, I know. But there's one other thing. You're both the most stubborn couple I've ever seen!" Zuko couldn't help but snicker at his uncle's observations. Of course, he had a point. He always did.

* * *

Meanwhile, Katara sat in her room with Suki, Toph and Ursa. "What did I just do?!" she shouted, grabbing her head on both sides, like she was about to rip out her hair.

"Weren't you there, Sugar Queen? Basically you challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai." Toph replied, oh so helpfully.

"Toph! You're not helping the situation." shot Suki. Katara threw her head into her hands, about to cry.

"We might as well forget about it! What kind of horrible person challenges her _future husband _to a stupid Agni Kai?!" shouted Katara as she began to pace back and forth.

"A bad one."

"TOPH!!!!!"

"What?! I'm just telling the truth!" Suki shot out of her chair and grabbed Toph by the collar and dragged her out of the room, leaving only Ursa and Katara.

"Toph is right. I shouldn't have agreed with her in the first place. It's a wonder Zuko didn't just break the marriage off right there. He probably thinks I'm some sort of evil witch." As she spoke, Katara walked over to the patio that jutted out from her room, overlooking the distant sea. Ursa came up behind her and stared as well.

"Does Zuko tell you that he loves you?" she asked. What kind of question was this?

"Of course he does. I know he does... well, he did. I acted so horribly... I don't know if our love was _that _strong."

* * *

Zuko walked out onto the patio and stared out to the distant sea. Immediatly, he thought of Katara. "But we've so many differences, one or two similarities can't possibly make up for them." He hung his head.

"Do you remember the ocean spirits back at the North Pole?" asked Iroh, standing beside his nephew, looking up at the moon.

"Of course, Uncle. The koi fish, how could I forget?"Zuko remembered how the fish swam in a circle, together, keeping balance in the water tribe.

"Yes. The moon and water. Two beings, so very far away, and different in almost every way, but when they work together, they create a force more powerful than any army."

Zuko thought about his uncle's words as he looked out, towards the shore. He could hear the constant swell of the waves as they moved back and forth, stirring the sand upon the beach, keeping things within a constant flow. He remembered how he used to go for walks on the beach with his mother and how he would find some of the most beaustiful shells in the sand. When he first came across them, they would be coverd in sand and seaweed, but once he held them in the current, they were washed clean.

"I have to go talk to her... clear things up." said Zuko as he looked to his uncle.

"Good idea, my nephew. I'm going to bed. It's late." With a quick turn on his heel, Iroh exited the room.

* * *

"Maybe you should go talk to him. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to listen." said Ursa as she and Katara stood on the patio. Katara sighed and walked back into her room in dismay.

"How could he? If it were me, I'd firebend my sorry butt right out the window." replied Katara. Maybe she was exagerating a bit, but people usually do in these situations. Ursa giggled, still staring at the ocean.

"You never know. Zuko has been known to surprise us, hasn't he?" Katara thought about all the times she had expected the worst from Zuko, but was completely caught off guard; the crystal catacombs, for instance. She sighed. Ursa was right. Talking was probably the best way to solve this problem. She sighed, then made for the door.

"You're right, Ursa. I need to talk to him." Katara opened the door and headed down the hall. The further she went, the more confident she felt about the whole thing. Pretty soon, she broke into a light jog. Katara rounded the corner, but was almost knocked down by someone. "Oh! Sorry, sir. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." The man into which she had run, was one of the fire sages.

"Yes, well, hopefully you'll be more careful when you're running about the palace." he replied. Maybe Katara expected too much of these guys, but something was telling her that he didn't really care for her.

Katara wished she could remember the man's name, but she was never as good with names as Zuko was. Zuko! She had some conflict resolving to do. "I'm sorry, but I was just a bit of a rush." Before she could get past him, he barred her way.

"If you don't mind my asking, where to?" he asked. Something wasn't right.

"Well, I was on my way to see Fire Lord Zuko. We had a bit of an argument at dinner and I'm going to make ammends for my actions." Surely he would respect her now that he knew she was going to apologize to the Fire Lord, but instead of letting her by, he stood there with, what looked like a happy twinkle in his eye.

"Oh! Miss Katara," _That's REPRESENTATIVE to you! _"I'm sorry, but Fire Lord Zuko does not wish to see you." Katara's heart sank. _He doesn't wish to see me?! _"I've just come from his chambers and Lord Zuko... well, I regret to say... has called off your marriage. He wishes you to return to the South Pole immediately."

Katara felt... nothing. Numb. She was numb. _There's no way Zuko could be that upset with me! I have to talk to him! _"I have to talk with him! Please! Let me speak with him! I know he'll listen to me." Katara tried to push her way past the old fire sage, but he would not let her pass.

"I know this may be hard for you to hear, but the Fire Lord sent me to tell you."

"Why couldn't he tell me?!"

"After your fight, he... well, he didn't want to see you again... ever."

"But it wasn't even a fight! It was a small disagreement!"

"I was told that you challenged him to an Agni Kai."

"I was angry! Everyone says things they don't mean when they're angry!"

"That may be, but challenging the Fire Lord to an Agni Kai is a great disrespect and is cause for immediate exile, but he decided to show you mercy and simply send you back to your family in the South Pole." Katara could feel him pushing her back, towards her room.

"No! PLEASE!!! ZUKO!!!" It was all she could think to yell at this point.

"GUARDS!!! Take her back to her room! His majesty wants her gone by high noon tomorrow!!!"

Within a few moments, three guards surrounded her and had her by the hands, so she couldn't bend. One had a hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. On top of all the chaos, her heart was breaking, slowly and painfully.


	13. Runaway

_BIG thank yous to everyone that reviewed on my last chapter. I enjoy your feedback! _

* * *

Zuko was walking briskly down the hall, ready to talk to Katara. His mind was made up and he was going to set things right, whether she wanted to or not. As he rounded the corner, he saw one of the fire sages. What was his name? Ling! That was it. He was one of the sages that told him he couldn't get married to Katara. So far, he hadn't heard anything from the sages, so they must've had a change of heart. "Hello, Ling." To his surprise, the old man turned away from him, acting as if he didn't hear. Zuko also thought he saw a look of fear on his face, Something wasn't right. "Ling!" He turned around with a pleasant smile.

"Sorry my Lord, I didn't hear you. My hearing isn't as good as it used to be. Is there something I can do for you, My Lord?"

"Not at this point. I'm on my way to see Katara." replied Zuko as he began to push past the old man. Something about his demeanor, however, changed when Zuko mentioned Katara.

"I'm sorry my Lord, but she isn't in her room." he said hesitantly.

"It's alright. She likes to go out to the turtle-duck pond sometimes. I'll look out there."

"I'll look with you. Perhaps I can be of some assistance." said the old man.

"Thank you, Ling." The two headed down the numerous hallways until they came to the courtyard with the turtle-duck pond. Unfortunately, Katara was not out there. There were only the turtle-ducks. Where could she be? "Hm," said Zuko in a concerened tone, "maybe she went to the market with Suki." Ling jumped in.

"I don't think so, sir. Both Miss Suki and Master Sokka have gone to bed." Ok, now there was something very wrong. Zuko and Ling searched everywhere Katara might be; the beach, the market, even the training courtyard. By the time they had made it back to the palace, it was almost midnight. It seemed like she just disappeared.

"Are you sure she's not just in her room?" asked Zuko as they reentered the palace.

"I'm pretty sure, but we should probably check there, just in case." Ling seemed just as clueless as Zuko. This was scary and annoying at the same time.

Zuko knocked on the red, wooden door that led to Katara's bedroom. No answer. He knocked a little louder, in case she had fallen asleep. Again, no answer. He didn't want to risk it, but he had to be sure she was safe. Slowly, he opened the door and peeked into her room. No one was there. "Katara?!" Maybe she was in the bathroom. He looked inside. Nothing. No one was home. "This doesn't make any sense."

"Look, sire! She's left a note!" Quickly, Zuko rushed to where Ling stood with a small, rolled up parchment in his hand. He handed it to Zuko. As fast as he could, Zuko unrolled and read the note.

_Zuko, _

_I'm sorry, but I can not go through with this marriage. Seeing what rage still lives within you made me realize that it would be unwise for me to continue living in the Fire Nation anymore. I've left everything here, except for what I've brought from my homeland, for I do not want to remember this experience. _

_Sincerely, Former Representative Katara of the Water Tribe_

As soon as he read the note, it dissolved into ashes in his hands. Zuko couldn't decide whether or not to be furious or heart broken. No, he was both. He looked down at the bed. There, shining in the candle light, were the gifts he had given her: the silver comb and her betrothal necklace. In an explosion of blind fury, he grabbed the objects and launched them at the wall. They hit with a loud smack. The necklace was unharmed, but a few teeth on the comb were bent... badly. "HOW COULD SHE LEAVE ME LIKE THIS?! I THOUGHT I MEANT SOMETHING TO HER!!! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, HOW CAN SHE JUST LEAVE ME?!!!"

* * *

Ursa rushed down the hallway, wondering what all the comotion was about. She knew that Katara had was going to talk to Zuko, but she never imagined it would end up this badly. As soon as she reached the source of the shouting, which was coming from Katara's bedroom, she gasped. Zuko was on his knees, fists clenched, shouting at the top of his lungs "... HOW CAN SHE JUST LEAVE ME?!!!"

"Zuko!" He turned his head to look at her.

"She's gone, Mom! She didn't want to get married, so she left..." his shoulders trembled as he began to cry, "... without even saying goodbye..." He ran his fingers, roughly through his hair in frustration as tears fell from his face to the floor. She saw the necklace and the comb, resting on the floor. The necklace looked fine, but the comb had a few bent teeth. Calmly, she picked them up and did her best to repair the comb. After doing so, she placed them on the bed.

"Oh Zuko, that's rediculous. Katara wouldn't have run away. She was going to come talk to you. She loves you." said Ursa in the sweetest tone she could muster. To her surprise, Zuko glared at her with the deadliest expression she'd ever seen from him. For a split moment, she thought she'd seen his father in those eyes.

"Does this look like she loved me?!" he said, gesturing to the empty room. "It doesn't to me!!! She left a note that said that after seeing what _anger _still lived within me she... she..." He couldn't finish for he had broken down again. Ling walked up to Ursa and began speaking in hushed tones.

"I suggest we leave him in here to work out his problems. There's nothing you or I can do at this point. Everything will be better in the morning.

* * *

Katara sat at the head of Appa as they flew through the freezing sky. It had been three days since they'd left the Fire Nation and she was feeling worse than ever. Aang wanted to help with the rebuilding process, so he agreed to take her back to the South Pole as well. They left the very night that Zuko had kicked her out of the palace, because, as she told Aang, she didn't want to ever see the Fire Nation again. Aang sat behind her as they flew. "It just doesn't make sense to me. Why would Zuko just send you home? It seemed like you two were doing great." he said.

"Apparently we weren't. That old fire sage told me that he showed me mercy by sending me home. He said that the usual punishment for challenging the Fire Lord was exile." She paused. "I can't think of anything worse than this, though." Katara decided it best to leave her Fire Nation belongings behind, just so she could forget. She even left her silver comb and betrothal necklace from Z-... him.

"Do you want me to drive? You've been up for the past two days and you need some rest."

"Thanks, but no. I can't sleep anyway." she replied. There was no point in trying to sleep, because she had horrible nightmares. After a few more hours, the sun began to set and she could see the South Pole in the distance.

"There it is!" shouted Aang as they approached the pole. Even from here, Katara could see that it was much more developed than the last time. A large, white wall stood, barring the village from the sea. She found that it bore a strange resemblance to the North Pole as they got closer. Katara could see about ten columns of smoke coming from the homes within the walls. When she had last left the South Pole, they had only begun work on the wall and there weren't this many people. Alltogether, she was rather pleased. As they flew over the wall, Aang and Katara could both hear the shouts of children as they beheld the large bison. Everyone knew what that meant: a special visit from the Avatar. Little did they know that this visit was not for the gleeful purposes they anticipated.


	14. Good News and Bad News

Appa landed in a large circle of spectators, most of them children. Half the people shouted Aang's name, the other, Katara's. Both were huge celebrities. "Katara!" It was Hakoda. He was squeezing through the masses of people as he made his way to his daughter and her friend. As soon as he reached them, he gave her a hug and began with the questions. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would've prepared more of a welcome for the princess and the Avatar." Katara hadn't told him about Zuko ending the engagement, but how could she tell him now? He was so happy. Hakoda had told her that he was looking forward to the wedding because it would unite the two nations. "Oh! Where is Zuko?" asked her father. The sound of that name rang in her ears and sent a twinge down her spine. Before she could explain, Aang jumped in before her.

"Maybe we should go inside, Chief Hakoda. It was a long trip." _Thank you, Aang... _He nodded and led the way through the thick crowd. Katara wanted to cover her face from all the smiling people, but all she could do was smile back.

* * *

Ursa knocked on the bedroom door that used to belong to Zuko's bride-to-be. He had been in this room for three days, mourning. "Zuko? It's almost noon. Do you want something to eat?" There came no answer. Ursa held a tray of food and a glass of water for her son, hoping he would take in some sort of nourishment. Slowly, she opened the door to behold him lying on the bed, staring at her necklace longingly, with somewhat of a crazed look in his eye.

"We were going to be married forever, you know?" He had been like this all morning, rambling on about his life and how it would've been. "We talked about... kids and stuff... one... two... maybe three." he said, all while staring at the necklace. Ursa's heart broke seeing him this way. If only there was something she or Iroh could do to help.

"Zuko, I brought you some food. You need to eat." He didn't notice her. It was like his mind was trapped in this insane form of depression, from which there was no escape. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair needed to be combed desperately.

"Katara said that she could cook stuff. I always liked her cooking, even when she didn't have a lot to work with." He let out a small laugh. "One time she used waterbending to throw soup in Sokka's face because he wouldn't quit complaining." His eyes never left her necklace. Ursa sighed and placed the the food on the dresser and vacated the room, leaving Zuko to wallow in his hopes and memories. As soon as she closed the door, she heard a voice from around the corner.

"Did he not look at you?" It was Iroh.

"No. He looked so hopeless." They began walking to the dining hall for lunch.

"I tried to get him to go to his own room, but he wouldn't budge." said Iroh as they rounded a corner. To their left was a door that was cracked. From inside, one could here several men whispering. Iroh paused and listened.

"Good thinking on your part, Ling. I thought we would have to confront him directly again." Iroh listened closer, as did Ursa. The fire sages were having a meeting. "Now _we_ can find someone suitable for the Fire Lord." Ursa and Iroh both gasped at the same time.

"Thank you, sir. I worry though. Would it have been truely horrible if they got married? I mean, she was a very nice girl and she wasn't exactly a peasant." The other sages chuckled.

"Really, Ling. When it comes to politics, no one's, not even the Fire Lord's feelings are allowed to get in the way."

"Do you realize that if they had gotten married, the people of the Water Tribe would've gotten a bigger sense of pride?"

"I see nothing wrong with that." said Ling.

"Do you not realize that if it weren't for us, the Fire Nation wouldn've sunken to the same level as all the other nations? Fire Lord Zuko believes that with the Avatar's assistance, he'll be able to create world peace. We don't want that now, do we?" Ling sighed.

"No sir, but if I may-" they cut him off.

"Due to Zuko's youth and his uncle's frequent absence, the fire sages have become more powerful than they ever have, and we intend to keep it that way." Iroh and Ursa frowned at each other. They couldn't let this happen. Ling spoke again, but this time, more forcefully.

"Sir, I have been a sage for many years, and never have I seen such corruption from this group as I have today. You are taking advantage of the Fire Lord and sooner or later, someone will find out and we will be exiled. I have extremely deep regrets for what I did last night. You should've seen Lady Katara's face when I told her the news. Fire Lord Zuko's face broke my heart as well. I feel very inclined to tell the truth to him and bring the waterbender back." There was a long pause.

"We will not tolerate it. If you do such a thing, you'll soon find yourself thrown in jail along with Ozai and Azula. I don't think you want that." Again, Ling sighed.

"No sir, I don't."

"Good, now, lets have lunch." Ursa and Iroh quickly bolted down the hall with their new-found information. As soon as the fire sages were out of ear shot, Iroh spoke.

"I thought something wasn't right! Those traitors!" They had almost made it back to the bedroom when Ursa spoke as well.

"What do we do? Should we send a letter to the South Pole?" Iroh smiled.

"I think Katara should be told in person. She deserves that much, but first, I'll deal with the fire sages and you deal with Zuko." Ursa nodded and ran to the bedroom.

* * *

Katara, Hakoda, and Aang sat in a newly built room that resembled something of an office. Scrolls lined the walls as well as furs and skins. Katara took a deep breath and began to explain her predicament. "Dad... there isn't going to be a wedding. Zuko broke the engagement." Hakoda stayed silent for a few painful moments.

"For what reason?" This was the question she'd been dreading. _Breathe in... breath out._

"I... I challenged him... to an Agni Kai." Katara could feel warm tears pricking at her eyes. Hakoda opened his mouth, about to say something, but looked at Aang.

"Could you give us a moment, please?" he asked. Aang rose and bowed out of the room without a word. "An Agni Kai?"

"Basically I challenged him to a fight. Apparently, that's seen as extremely offensive, so I was to be exiled." Her father jumped out of his fur-covered seat.

"You were exiled?!" She flinched when she heard his yell. She hadn't heard that angry voice in years.

"Well... not exactly. Instead of just exiling me, he just... sent me here, but I left with Aang before the guards could escort me out of the Fire Nation." Hakoda said nothing, but looked out the large window behind the chair and sighed.

"So he showed _mercy_?" he asked with venom in his tone.

"I suppose." she replied, sheepishly. Hakoda turned around and looked to the side.

"Well, I guess there's nothing you or I can do now. Did you try to talk to him?" he asked as he walked towards her.

"Yes, Dad, but I didn't get the chance. It was... hard." A stupid tear rolled down her face. Quickly, she swiped it away. "I left as soon as I could."

"I see." Katara could take no more of this prodding.

"Can I go to my room? The effects of not sleeping for two days are starting to kick in." A small smile graced her father's face.

"I suppose." Katara turned toward the door, but before she could leave, Hakoda stopped her. "Hey, Katara. I'm glad you're home." Katara smiled and nodded.

"Me too, Dad." She closed the door behind her and paused. "I guess."

* * *

"LING?! It was Ling?!" shouted Zuko as he leaped from the bed. "Where is he?! I'll burn him alive for this betrayal!" Ursa held him back from the door.

"Don't worry about him. He stood up for you in front of the other sages. Besides, your uncle is dealing with them." Zuko's eyes shifted back and forth with outraged excitement.

"So, she didn't really leave me?" he asked, tears streaming down his face.

"No, but she thinks that you... sent her home." His eyes became twice their size and his mouth dropped open in horror.

"I have to see her! I have to get word to her! I have to tell her... THAT I LOVE HER!!!!" Zuko flailed his arms as he shouted. Iroh entered the room to behold the sight of his crazed nephew.

"I see you told him." he said calmly. Ursa nodded as she struggled to hold him back. Zuko paced back and forth, trying to control the many emotions that were coursing through his mind. "I've arranged a small ship to take us to the South Pole. It's the fastest ship ever made by the Fire Nation and it should get us there in no less than four days." Iroh said proundly.

"Four days?! I need to be there now!" Zuko started out the door at a fast paced walk. Ursa and Iroh followed him. As soon as they reached his bedroom, he quickly began filling a suitcase with warm clothes. "I want that ship ready within the next hour. Tell Sokka, Suki, and Toph to meet at the loading dock as soon as possible. I want everyone to be there." Zuko closed the suitcase and faced the two.

"Why everyone, Zuko?" asked Ursa. He smiled and started out the door. Before leaving completely, he uttered three quiet words.

"For the wedding."


	15. Confidence and Patience

Katara sat alone, in her newly built room. Builders had worked extremely hard on what was quickly becoming a palace made completely out of ice. Katara's bedroom wasn't quite finished when she left last, but now it was complete and made exactly for the South Pole's princess. The bed was covered in large pelts, as were the chairs and sofa. The room was very large, perfect for a princess, but not for Katara. Ever since she had left the Fire Nation, a princess was the last thing she's felt like. She didn't wear the beautiful furs and gowns that were prepared for her, nor did she fashion the expensive boots that had been shipped all the way from the Northern Water Tribe. Instead, she chose to wear her common parka and old boots. Hakoda told her that if she was going to come home and be the princess, she needed to act and dress like one.

"You're not going to sit in your room all day and sulk. There's a meeting at noon and I want you to be there."

"I don't want to be involved in any kind of politics for now, Dad." Hakoda sighed, then paused.

"Well, if you're not coming to the meeting, you can go recieve the ship that's coming in about one hour." he replied.

"Actually, I'd rather come to the meeting." she quickly spit out.

"Nope. You've made your choice. Put on something nice for our guests and tough it out, honey." Katara rolled her eyes.

"Who is it?" she asked. Katara figured that if she was going to be tortured like this, she should at least know who she was recieving.

"Iroh, Ursa, Toph, Suki, and your brother... and no, Zuko won't be there." She almost threw up at the news.

"Are you sure I can't come to the meeting?" she asked as one last chance for success. Hakoda turned to leave.

"Yeah, it won't be that interesting anyway. One hour, Katara." he said as he departed. Katara sighed and walked toward her closet, which she hadn't even looked through since she'd arrived. Everything was beautiful, but she wasn't feeling very beautiful. _"Oh well. Just smile and tough it out. It'll be over soon enough."_

_

* * *

_

Zuko stood at the very front of the ship as it zoomed across the surface of the water. It was comforting to know that with every passing minute, he was getting closer to his future wife. Repeatedly, he had asked Uncle if "this thing could go any faster", but Iroh always responded by saying that "they were pushing it to the limit as it was". On the fourth day of the trip, Zuko was growing extremely impatient. "It's been four days and I don't see the South Pole, Uncle. I thought you said this thing was fast." They both stood at the tip of the ship, looking to the horizon. It was almost noon and still no land.

"You have to be patient, nephew. Do you see anyone else in as big a hurry as you?" asked Iroh.

"No, but they're not in my situation!" shouted Zuko as he leaned forward. Iroh sighed and turned to Zuko.

"Zuko, listen to me." He turned to look at his uncle with concern. "You can't go sprinting off the ship as soon as you see her." Zuko's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! Why not?!"

"Odds are, she's probably not as excited to see you as you are to see her. To be honest... she doesn't even know you're coming." Steam started coming from Zuko's fists as he clenched them tighter and tighter.

"But you sent a letter!!!" he shouted.

"Yes; a letter saying that _we _were coming, not you. Think, Zuko. If she knew that you were coming, there isn't a very good chance that she'd stick around to see you."

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!" Zuko thrust his hands toward the sky, unleashing a torrent of flames to nobody. Iroh stayed as calm as possible as his nephew went on a rampage.

* * *

Katara and Aang stood at the loading dock, which was also made of ice. She hadn't told anyone, (not that she'd really talked to anyone) but being home again comforted her a great deal. She put up her hand to block the glare from the sun, and stared at the horizon. "Do tou see the ship?" she asked Aang. He had told her that he would come with her for support (and he had as much right to see his friends as she did).

"Hang on." he replied. Aang opened his glider and thrust himself into the air, flying straight up. A gust of wind from the glider hit Katara in the face, messing up her hair. _"Thanks Aang..." _He came back down in a flash. "I see the ship, and it's one of the fastest I've ever seen. They'll be here really soon." Katara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With each passing mimute, she grew more nervous. "Hey, it'll be ok. I've never known anyone, except you, to hold a grudge. I know they'll understand."

"How do you know?" she asked. Aang adopted that goofy, childish grin and took on a somewhat "girly" pose.

"'Cause I'm the avatar, silly!" Katara remembered that stupid play about them that they saw on Ember Island two years ago. Aang's character was played by a girl, which really made him mad. Katara couldn't help but laugh histerically. As soon as her fit was over, she looked out to the horizon again. To her surprise, a small, black ship was coming toward them... fast.

"Is that them?!" she shrieked. Aang looked as well.

"Yep. Are you ready?" he asked. Katara was about to cry she was so scared. What would her friends think of her? Would they hate her forever? What would Iroh and Ursa think? Would Ursa still act like a mother?

"Aang I can't do this! You'll have to see them. I can't do it. They'll hate me, I know it!" Katara started walking back toward the palace, but Aang grabbed her arm.

"Oh no you don't! You're going to face these people, you're going to smile and laugh and you're going to like it!" His face had melted into a stern, motherly look that she usually gave Sokka, but then he smiled, as did she.

"Thanks Aang." she said. She took a deep breath and faced the oncoming ship with a new-found confidence. _Bring it!_


End file.
